Midwinter lows in Pacific Junction sink below those of 87% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 87°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 82% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.8° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Pacific Junction at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pacific Junction’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pacific Junction’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Pacific Junction feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glenwood 3sw, IA, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pacific Junction’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Plattsmouth 1e, NE, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pacific Junction
85% 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 Glenwood 3sw, IA.
Living with Pacific Junction’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pacific Junction from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pacific Junction and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pacific Junction yet.
Climates most like Pacific Junction’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Junction, IA | 14° | 87° | 33" | 25" |
| Chillicothe, IL | 16° | 86° | 37" | 20" |
| Kearney, NE | 14° | 87° | 26" | 22" |
| Napoleon, OH | 19° | 85° | 36" | 25" |
| Westland, MI | 18° | 84° | 34" | 31" |
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 Pacific Junction averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Pacific Junction compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pacific Junction’s place among Iowa’s.
Pacific Junction weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pacific Junction’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Plattsmouth 1e, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 14° | 0.8" | 7.7" | 5 | 15 | 16° – 37° |
| February | 39° | 18° | 1.0" | 6.6" | 5 | 12 | 17° – 38° |
| March | 52° | 30° | 1.8" | 3.2" | 6 | 4 | 33° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 3.3" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 43° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 42° | 2.5" | 0.8" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 29° | 1.4" | 1.1" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 50° |
| December | 38° | 19° | 1.2" | 4.7" | 5 | 8 | 15° – 34° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 32.9" | 25.3" | 75 | 41 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Pacific Junction’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 Pacific Junction’s center.
- Snow: Plattsmouth 1e, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glenwood 3sw, IA, 1.5 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 Pacific Junction’s climate
What is the weather like in Pacific Junction?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pacific Junction in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Pacific Junction get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Plattsmouth 1e, NE, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 41 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pacific Junction?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Glenwood 3sw, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Pacific Junction?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 170 frost-free days, at Glenwood 3sw, IA.
What growing zone is Pacific Junction in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pacific Junction?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pacific Junction getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pacific Junction.
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.