St. Benedict has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in January. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 79% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 70–83°.
A year in St. Benedict at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Benedict’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Benedict’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in St. Benedict feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Algona, IA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Benedict’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 34 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in St. Benedict
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 Algona, IA.
Living with St. Benedict’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Benedict from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Benedict and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Benedict yet.
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 St. Benedict averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 St. Benedict compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Benedict’s place among Iowa’s.
St. Benedict weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Benedict’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 8° | 0.8" | 6° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 12° | 1.0" | 10° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 24° | 1.9" | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.6" | 36° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.9" | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 5.0" | 65° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.2" | 65° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.4" | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 2.4" | 43° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 25° | 1.5" | 25° – 47° |
| December | 30° | 14° | 1.2" | 6° – 30° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 34.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where St. Benedict’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 St. Benedict’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Algona, IA, 8 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 St. Benedict’s climate
What is the weather like in St. Benedict?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Benedict in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How hot does it get in St. Benedict?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Algona, IA).
When is the first and last frost in St. Benedict?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 160 frost-free days, at Algona, IA.
What growing zone is St. Benedict in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Benedict?
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 St. Benedict getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Benedict.
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.