Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Estherville
July afternoons average 82°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in January. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 85% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 69–82°.
A year in Estherville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Estherville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Estherville’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Estherville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Estherville 4e, IA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Estherville’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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Milford 4 Nw, IA, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Estherville
93% 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 Estherville 4e, IA.
Living with Estherville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 60% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Estherville from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Estherville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Estherville yet.
Climates most like Estherville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estherville, IA | 7° | 82° | 31" | 38" |
| Stillwater, MN | 6° | 82° | 33" | 40" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
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 Estherville averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Estherville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Estherville’s place among Iowa’s.
Estherville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Estherville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Milford 4 Nw, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 0.7" | 8.7" | 7 | 23 | 5° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 11° | 0.8" | 9.3" | 7 | 23 | 9° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 24° | 1.6" | 5.3" | 6 | 11 | 25° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.2" | 2.5" | 8 | 2 | 34° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 24° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 6 | 5 | 24° – 45° |
| December | 29° | 13° | 1.0" | 8.6" | 6 | 18 | 6° – 28° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 31.0" | 38.0" | 88 | 81 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Estherville’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 Estherville’s center.
- Snow: Milford 4 Nw, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Estherville 4e, IA, 4 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 Estherville’s climate
What is the weather like in Estherville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Estherville in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Estherville get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Milford 4 Nw, IA, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 81 days a year.
How hot does it get in Estherville?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Estherville 4e, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Estherville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 153 frost-free days, at Estherville 4e, IA.
What growing zone is Estherville 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 Estherville?
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 Estherville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Estherville.
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.