Photo: Tim Fontenot · Public domainIowa’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Iowa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Iowa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Iowa’s place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Iowa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 299 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 14 and the first by December 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lake Charles, LA, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Iowa’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 62 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain falls on about 124 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Jennings, LA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Iowa
30% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lake Charles, LA.
Living with Iowa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
299 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Iowa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Iowa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Iowa yet.
Climates most like Iowa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa, LA | 43° | 91° | 62" | 0.1" |
| Milton, FL | 41° | 91° | 63" | 0.1" |
| Foley, AL | 42° | 91° | 63" | 0.1" |
| Picayune, MS | 40° | 91° | 65" | 0.0" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
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 Iowa averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.2°).
A smaller shift than in all but 165 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 Iowa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Iowa’s place among Louisiana’s.
Iowa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Iowa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jennings, LA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 43° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| February | 66° | 46° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 64° |
| March | 72° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| April | 78° | 58° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| May | 85° | 66° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 90° | 72° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| July | 91° | 74° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| August | 92° | 74° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| September | 89° | 69° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| October | 81° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| November | 71° | 50° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| December | 64° | 44° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| Year | 78° | 59° | 61.9" | 0.1" | 124 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Iowa’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 Iowa’s center.
- Snow: Jennings, LA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lake Charles, LA, 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 Iowa’s climate
What is the weather like in Iowa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Iowa in winter?
January nights average 43°. About 11 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Iowa get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Jennings, LA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Iowa?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 74°. About 89 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Lake Charles, LA).
When is the first and last frost in Iowa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 14 and the first fall frost by December 7, about 299 frost-free days, at Lake Charles, LA.
What growing zone is Iowa in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Iowa?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Iowa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 165 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Iowa.
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.