Photo: FortepanIowa · CC BY-SA 4.0Woden sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 79% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 69–82°.
A year in Woden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Woden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Woden’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Woden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Forest City 2 Nne, IA, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Woden’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 Woden
93% 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 Forest City 2 Nne, IA.
Living with Woden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 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 7.
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 Woden from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Woden and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Woden 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 Woden averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
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 Woden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Woden’s place among Iowa’s.
Woden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Woden’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 0.8" | 5° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 12° | 1.0" | 9° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 24° | 1.9" | 25° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.6" | 35° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 4.8" | 53° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 5.1" | 65° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 4.2" | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.0" | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.5" | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.4" | 43° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 25° | 1.5" | 24° – 47° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.2" | 6° – 30° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 33.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Woden’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 Woden’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Forest City 2 Nne, IA, 15 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 Woden’s climate
What is the weather like in Woden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 7°. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Woden in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 159 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How hot does it get in Woden?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Forest City 2 Nne, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Woden?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 159 frost-free days, at Forest City 2 Nne, IA.
What growing zone is Woden in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Woden?
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 Woden 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 Woden.
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.