Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Whittemore
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. Only 75° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 80% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 70–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Whittemore at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Whittemore’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Whittemore’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Whittemore 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, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Whittemore’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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Emmetsburg, IA, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June 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 Whittemore
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 Whittemore’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 Whittemore from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Whittemore and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Whittemore yet.
Climates most like Whittemore’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whittemore, IA | 8° | 83° | 34" | 37" |
| Winona, MN | 8° | 83° | 36" | 38" |
| Holmen, WI | 8° | 82° | 36" | 36" |
| South Beloit, IL | 13° | 83° | 37" | 38" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
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 Whittemore averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Whittemore compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Whittemore’s place among Iowa’s.
Whittemore weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Whittemore’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Emmetsburg, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 8° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 5 | 23 | 5° – 28° |
| February | 30° | 12° | 1.0" | 8.2" | 6 | 23 | 10° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 25° | 1.8" | 5.9" | 7 | 11 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.6" | 2.6" | 10 | 1 | 37° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 25° | 1.5" | 4.9" | 6 | 5 | 25° – 47° |
| December | 30° | 14° | 1.1" | 7.1" | 6 | 17 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 33.5" | 37.1" | 96 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Whittemore’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 Whittemore’s center.
- Snow: Emmetsburg, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Algona, 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 Whittemore’s climate
What is the weather like in Whittemore?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Whittemore 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 5°.
How much snow does Whittemore get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Emmetsburg, IA, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Whittemore?
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 Whittemore?
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 Whittemore 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 Whittemore?
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 Whittemore getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Whittemore.
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.