Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Sutherland
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 75°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 85% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 70–83°.
A year in Sutherland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sutherland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sutherland’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Sutherland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Primghar, IA, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sutherland’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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Primghar, IA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sutherland
89% 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 Primghar, IA.
Living with Sutherland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 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 10.
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 Sutherland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sutherland and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sutherland yet.
Climates most like Sutherland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutherland, IA | 8° | 83° | 31" | 35" |
| St. Paul, MN | 7° | 83° | 33" | 40" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
| Machesney Park, IL | 13° | 83° | 37" | 38" |
| Mount Pleasant, MI | 15° | 83° | 33" | 39" |
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 Sutherland averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Sutherland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sutherland’s place among Iowa’s.
Sutherland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sutherland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Primghar, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 8° | 0.7" | 8.4" | 4 | 6° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 12° | 0.8" | 6.7" | 4 | 10° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 1.7" | 6.2" | 5 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.4" | 2.4" | 8 | 36° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.4" | 6 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 24° | 1.5" | 2.5" | 5 | 25° – 46° |
| December | 30° | 14° | 1.0" | 8.2" | 4 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 31.1" | 34.8" | 77 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Sutherland’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 Sutherland’s center.
- Snow: Primghar, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Primghar, IA, 10 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 Sutherland’s climate
What is the weather like in Sutherland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sutherland in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Sutherland get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Primghar, IA, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Sutherland?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Primghar, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Sutherland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 163 frost-free days, at Primghar, IA.
What growing zone is Sutherland 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 Sutherland?
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 Sutherland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sutherland.
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.