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VSWeather

Iowa weather by city

VSWeather covers 86 cities and towns in Iowa, from Des Moines (population 212,464) down to Iowa Falls (population 5,062). Sunshine runs close to the national norm, with 200 sunny days a year in the typical covered city against a median of 205 across the country. Winters are bitterly cold and summers mild: the typical city averages 21 °F in January and 74 °F in July. Rain or snow falls on 115 days a year in the typical city, close to the national median of 122 days.

January averages run from 15 °F in Estherville to 25 °F in Fort Madison. July averages run from 71 °F in Estherville to 77 °F in Council Bluffs. Sheldon dips below freezing on 171 nights a year against 111 in Fort Madison.

The sharpest climate contrast among Iowa's bigger cities is Council Bluffs against Mason City: Mason City collects 44 inches of snow a winter to Council Bluffs's 27 inches, and Council Bluffs logs 219 sunny days a year to Mason City's 190.

Every figure is a 30 year average for 1991 to 2020.

Iowa climate standouts

The top 10 covered cities in the state for each measure.

Sunniest

  1. 1Glenwood 219 sunny days
  2. 2Council Bluffs 219 sunny days
  3. 3Sioux City 216 sunny days
  4. 4Red Oak 215 sunny days
  5. 5Sergeant Bluff 214 sunny days
  6. 6Clarinda 213 sunny days
  7. 7Le Mars 212 sunny days
  8. 8Sioux Center 210 sunny days
  9. 9Atlantic 210 sunny days
  10. 10Orange City 209 sunny days

Snowiest

  1. 1Clear Lake 44 in of snow
  2. 2Mason City 44 in of snow
  3. 3Spencer 43 in of snow
  4. 4Estherville 42 in of snow
  5. 5Spirit Lake 41 in of snow
  6. 6Sheldon 41 in of snow
  7. 7Oelwein 39 in of snow
  8. 8Cedar Falls 38 in of snow
  9. 9Asbury 38 in of snow
  10. 10Waterloo 38 in of snow

Rainiest

  1. 1Decorah 122 wet days a year
  2. 2Manchester 122 wet days a year
  3. 3Mason City 121 wet days a year
  4. 4Clear Lake 121 wet days a year
  5. 5Oelwein 121 wet days a year
  6. 6Dubuque 121 wet days a year
  7. 7Asbury 121 wet days a year
  8. 8Independence 120 wet days a year
  9. 9Davenport 120 wet days a year
  10. 10Bettendorf 120 wet days a year

Warmest

  1. 1Fort Madison 52 °F average
  2. 2Council Bluffs 52 °F average
  3. 3Keokuk 52 °F average
  4. 4Burlington 52 °F average
  5. 5Des Moines 51 °F average
  6. 6Iowa City 51 °F average
  7. 7Ottumwa 51 °F average
  8. 8Norwalk 51 °F average
  9. 9Red Oak 51 °F average
  10. 10Glenwood 51 °F average

Popular Iowa comparisons

The state's biggest cities, head to head.

All covered Iowa cities and towns

Every place links to its full climate profile.

National rankings

See how Iowa cities place among the sunniest cities and snowiest cities and more in the US city weather rankings.

About this data

Figures are 30 year averages for 1991 to 2020, computed from daily climate history at each city's own coordinates. Sunny days count clear plus partly cloudy days; snowfall and temperature are anchored to NOAA station measurements. Methods and sources are described on the data sources page.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (ERA5, ERA5-Land).