Climate Comfort Score
64/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 47°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Dakota City, IA Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 47°F
- Avg annual temp
- 64/100
- Comfort score
- 35.8"
- Annual precip
- 169d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Dakota City
Dakota City, Iowa averages 47°F a year and scores 64/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 51% of U.S. cities.
- 47°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 64/100
- comfort score, milder than 51% of U.S. cities
- 35.8"
- precipitation, annual total
- 169 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
47°F (8°C)
Avg High
57°F
Avg Low
37°F
Annual Precip
35.8"
Comfort Score
64/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
47°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
35.8"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Dakota City) 64.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Dakota City area.
How Dakota City compares to every U.S. city
Dakota City's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
64 Top 49% higher than 51% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Dakota City
MethodologyDakota City's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26°F (-3°C) | 8°F (-13°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 0.9" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 30°F (-1°C) | 12°F (-11°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 1.4" | 27.4 | 0.0 |
| March | 43°F (6°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 2.0" | 24.3 | 0.0 |
| April | 59°F (15°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 3.7" | 11.0 | 0.0 |
| May | 70°F (21°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 5.1" | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| June | 80°F (27°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 5.4" | 0.0 | 3.6 |
| July | 83°F (29°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 4.0" | 0.0 | 7.1 |
| August | 81°F (27°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 71°F (21°C) | 4.5" | 0.0 | 3.5 |
| September | 76°F (24°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 3.2" | 0.3 | 1.7 |
| October | 62°F (17°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 2.6" | 8.8 | 0.2 |
| November | 45°F (7°C) | 26°F (-4°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 1.6" | 21.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 31°F (-1°C) | 15°F (-10°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 1.4" | 30.1 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 0.9"
February 1.4"
March 2.0"
April 3.7"
May 5.1"
June 5.4"
July 4.0"
August 4.5"
September 3.2"
October 2.6"
November 1.6"
December 1.4"
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 12
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 26
50% probability date
Growing Season
169 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,304
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
719
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Dakota City's climate means for you
Dakota City runs 47°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 169 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near April 26 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 7,304 heating and 719 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Dakota City, IA
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Dakota City, Iowa as a location with an annual average temperature of 47°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 57°F to a mean daily low of 37°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00132041, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Dakota City averages 35.8 inches of precipitation a year, predominantly as rainfall, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 169 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near April 26 and the first fall freeze near October 12. As for energy demand, 7,304 heating degree days and 719 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Dakota City scores 64/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for July-driven heat, or deep winter for January-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Dakota City, IA? ▼
The average annual temperature in Dakota City, Iowa is 47°F. The warmest month averages 83°F (29°C) and the coldest averages 8°F (-13°C).
How much rain does Dakota City get? ▼
Dakota City receives 35.8 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Dakota City? ▼
Dakota City has a climate comfort score of 64/100 (Good), milder than 51% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Dakota City? ▼
Dakota City has approximately 169 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around April 26 and the first fall freeze around October 12.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Dakota City? ▼
Dakota City has 7,304 heating degree days and 719 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Dakota City climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00132041 near Dakota City.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00132041. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.