Nights turn raw in Luther each January, colder than in 92% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 84°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 73% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Luther at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Luther’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Luther’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Luther feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ames 8 Wsw, IA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Luther’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ames 8 Wsw, IA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Luther
88% 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 Ames 8 Wsw, IA.
Living with Luther’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Luther from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Luther and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Luther yet.
Climates most like Luther’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luther, IA | 11° | 84° | 36" | 33" |
| Prairie du Chien, WI | 10° | 83° | 37" | 34" |
| Freeport, IL | 12° | 83° | 38" | 35" |
| Winona, MN | 8° | 83° | 36" | 38" |
| Howell, MI | 16° | 82° | 34" | 33" |
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 Luther averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Luther compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Luther’s place among Iowa’s.
Luther weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Luther’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ames 8 Wsw, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | 0.9" | 7.8" | 6 | 19 | 10° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 16° | 1.1" | 10.0" | 6 | 16 | 15° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 2.1" | 4.2" | 8 | 6 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.9" | 1.3" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 50° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 40° | 2.7" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 28° | 1.8" | 2.0" | 7 | 2 | 28° – 49° |
| December | 33° | 17° | 1.3" | 6.9" | 6 | 13 | 9° – 33° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 36.3" | 32.7" | 103 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Luther’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 Luther’s center.
- Snow: Ames 8 Wsw, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ames 8 Wsw, 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 Luther’s climate
What is the weather like in Luther?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Luther in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 141 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 Luther get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Ames 8 Wsw, IA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Luther?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Ames 8 Wsw, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Luther?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 173 frost-free days, at Ames 8 Wsw, IA.
What growing zone is Luther in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Luther?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Luther getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Luther.
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.