Photo: David Morris · CC BY 2.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Emmetsburg
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. The wettest month is June; the driest is January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 83% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 70–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Emmetsburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Emmetsburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Emmetsburg’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Emmetsburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Emmetsburg, IA, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Emmetsburg’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Emmetsburg, IA, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Emmetsburg
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Emmetsburg, IA.
Living with Emmetsburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 37% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Emmetsburg from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Emmetsburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Emmetsburg yet.
Climates most like Emmetsburg’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmetsburg, IA | 8° | 83° | 33" | 37" |
| Stillwater, MN | 6° | 82° | 33" | 40" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
| Roscoe, IL | 13° | 84° | 37" | 38" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Emmetsburg averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 65% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Emmetsburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Emmetsburg’s place among Iowa’s.
Emmetsburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Emmetsburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Emmetsburg, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 8° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 5 | 23 | 5° – 28° |
| February | 30° | 12° | 0.9" | 8.2" | 6 | 23 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 1.8" | 5.9" | 7 | 11 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.6" | 2.6" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 25° | 1.4" | 4.9" | 6 | 5 | 24° – 47° |
| December | 30° | 14° | 1.0" | 7.1" | 6 | 17 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 32.6" | 37.1" | 96 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Emmetsburg’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Emmetsburg’s center.
- Snow: Emmetsburg, IA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Emmetsburg, IA, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Emmetsburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Emmetsburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Emmetsburg in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Emmetsburg get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Emmetsburg, IA, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Emmetsburg?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Emmetsburg, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Emmetsburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 164 frost-free days, at Emmetsburg, IA.
What growing zone is Emmetsburg in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Emmetsburg?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Emmetsburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Emmetsburg.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.