Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Wesley
Expect July afternoons of about 83°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 79% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.8° higher. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Wesley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wesley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wesley’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Wesley 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, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wesley’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 Wesley
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 Wesley’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 Wesley 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 →Wesley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wesley 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 Wesley averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+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 Wesley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wesley’s place among Iowa’s.
Wesley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wesley’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° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 24° | 1.9" | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.7" | 35° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.8" | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 5.1" | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.1" | 65° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.4" | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.4" | 43° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 25° | 1.5" | 25° – 47° |
| December | 30° | 14° | 1.2" | 6° – 30° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 34.1" |
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 Wesley’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 Wesley’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Algona, IA, 12 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 Wesley’s climate
What is the weather like in Wesley?
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 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wesley 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 Wesley?
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 Wesley?
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 Wesley 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 Wesley?
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 Wesley 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 Wesley.
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.