Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC BY-SA 4.0Midwinter lows in Jesup sink below those of 94% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. Winter and summer sit 74° apart. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 74% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 71–83°.
A year in Jesup at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jesup’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jesup’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Jesup feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Independence #1, IA, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jesup’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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Independence #1, IA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 105 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Jesup
91% 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 Independence #1, IA.
Living with Jesup’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jesup from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jesup and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Jesup yet.
Climates most like Jesup’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesup, IA | 9° | 83° | 37" | 34" |
| Portage, WI | 10° | 83° | 36" | 39" |
| Harvard, IL | 13° | 83° | 38" | 32" |
| Cottage Grove, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 41" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 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 Jesup averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Jesup compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jesup’s place among Iowa’s.
Jesup weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jesup’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Independence #1, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 9° | 1.2" | 10.0" | 8 | 21 | 7° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 14° | 1.2" | 7.3" | 7 | 16 | 8° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 25° | 1.9" | 3.8" | 8 | 7 | 26° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.8" | 1.8" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 27° | 2.0" | 3.0" | 8 | 3 | 28° – 47° |
| December | 32° | 16° | 1.6" | 7.6" | 8 | 14 | 9° – 34° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 37.4" | 33.9" | 105 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Jesup’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 Jesup’s center.
- Snow: Independence #1, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Independence #1, IA, 10 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 Jesup’s climate
What is the weather like in Jesup?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jesup in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Jesup get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Independence #1, IA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Jesup?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Independence #1, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Jesup?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 159 frost-free days, at Independence #1, IA.
What growing zone is Jesup 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 Jesup?
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 Jesup getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jesup.
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.