Photo: Billwhittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0Midwinter lows in Soldier sink below those of 92% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 85°. The wettest month is May; the driest is January. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 84% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 25; in half of years the first frost comes by October 12.
A year in Soldier at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Soldier’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Soldier’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Soldier 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 25 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Castana Exp Farm, IA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Soldier’s center in zone 5a: 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Castana Exp Farm, IA, is heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Soldier
90% 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 Castana Exp Farm, IA.
Living with Soldier’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Soldier from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Soldier and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Soldier yet.
Climates most like Soldier’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier, IA | 11° | 85° | 32" | 29" |
| Spring Valley, IL | 15° | 85° | 37" | 29" |
| Prairie du Chien, WI | 10° | 83° | 37" | 34" |
| Winona, MN | 8° | 83° | 36" | 38" |
| Grand Island, NE | 15° | 87° | 27" | 28" |
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 Soldier averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
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 Soldier compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Soldier’s place among Iowa’s.
Soldier weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Soldier’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Castana Exp Farm, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 11° | 0.7" | 7.1" | 5 | 21 | 13° – 34° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 0.9" | 7.2" | 5 | 16 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 27° | 1.8" | 4.2" | 7 | 7 | 30° – 53° |
| April | 61° | 37° | 3.3" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 49° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 40° | 2.4" | 0.7" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 27° | 1.4" | 2.0" | 5 | 4 | 27° – 48° |
| December | 34° | 16° | 1.1" | 5.7" | 6 | 14 | 11° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 31.8" | 28.6" | 96 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Soldier’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 Soldier’s center.
- Snow: Castana Exp Farm, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Castana Exp Farm, IA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Soldier’s climate
What is the weather like in Soldier?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Soldier in winter?
January nights average 11°. 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 13°.
How much snow does Soldier get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Castana Exp Farm, IA, heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Soldier?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Castana Exp Farm, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Soldier?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 170 frost-free days, at Castana Exp Farm, IA.
What growing zone is Soldier in?
Zone 5a 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 Soldier?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Soldier 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 Soldier.
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.