Photo: KEVIN SCHUCHMANN · CC BY-SA 3.0Midwinter lows in La Motte sink below those of 91% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 79% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 70–82°.
A year in La Motte at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Motte’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Motte’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in La Motte feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dubuque Rgnl Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Motte’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dubuque Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Motte
92% 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 Dubuque Rgnl Airport.
Living with La Motte’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Motte from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Motte and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Motte yet.
Climates most like La Motte’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Motte, IA | 12° | 82° | 39" | 43" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Hillsdale, MI | 16° | 82° | 38" | 44" |
| Cobleskill, NY | 13° | 81° | 40" | 54" |
| Westville, IN | 16° | 83° | 39" | 34" |
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 La Motte averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 La Motte compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Motte’s place among Iowa’s.
La Motte weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Motte’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dubuque Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 12° | 1.3" | 10.7" | 9 | 21 | 10° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 1.6" | 10.6" | 9 | 18 | 10° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 27° | 2.2" | 5.7" | 10 | 8 | 28° – 51° |
| April | 58° | 37° | 3.9" | 1.9" | 11 | 1 | 39° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 49° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 59° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 63° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 80° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| September | 74° | 53° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 61° | 41° | 3.1" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 29° | 2.3" | 2.8" | 8 | 3 | 29° – 47° |
| December | 32° | 18° | 1.8" | 10.3" | 9 | 13 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 38.7" | 42.5" | 118 | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where La Motte’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 La Motte’s center.
- Snow: Dubuque Rgnl Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dubuque Rgnl Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 La Motte’s climate
What is the weather like in La Motte?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Motte in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 144 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does La Motte get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Dubuque Rgnl Airport, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Motte?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 63°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Dubuque Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in La Motte?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 165 frost-free days, at Dubuque Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is La Motte in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Motte?
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 La Motte getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Motte.
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.