Photo: Nahtzen · CC BY-SA 4.0Manly sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 84% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.0°, most of all in December. Tender plants can go out after about April 29; in half of years the first frost comes by October 7.
A year in Manly at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Manly’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Manly’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Manly feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mason City, IA, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Manly’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mason City Muni Airport, falls mostly in January. 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 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Manly
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 Mason City, IA.
Living with Manly’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Manly from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Manly and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Manly yet.
Climates most like Manly’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manly, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Saratoga, WI | 7° | 82° | 34" | 48" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Isanti, MN | 4° | 82° | 32" | 44" |
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 Manly averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Manly compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Manly’s place among Iowa’s.
Manly weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Manly’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mason City Muni Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 0.9" | 11.3" | 8 | 24 | 4° – 29° |
| February | 28° | 12° | 1.1" | 10.0" | 8 | 22 | 9° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 24° | 2.0" | 7.0" | 9 | 10 | 25° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.9" | 3.0" | 12 | 1 | 35° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 5.0" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 37° | 2.5" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 26° | 1.7" | 3.0" | 8 | 4 | 25° – 47° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.3" | 9.4" | 8 | 16 | 7° – 31° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 35.8" | 44.4" | 116 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Manly’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 Manly’s center.
- Snow: Mason City Muni Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mason City, IA, 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 Manly’s climate
What is the weather like in Manly?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Manly in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 161 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Manly get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Mason City Muni Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Manly?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Mason City, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Manly?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 161 frost-free days, at Mason City, IA.
What growing zone is Manly in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Manly?
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 Manly getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Manly.
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.