Humboldt, Iowa climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Humboldt's normal year runs from 9°F January nights to 81°F July afternoons, with 35.0 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 7.9°C, January lows of −13°C, July highs of 27°C, 888 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationHumboldt Water Treatment Plant
- Station IDUSC00133980
- Location42.72°N 94.22°W
- Elevation1,100 ft (335 m)
- From the centerunder 1 mile
- Population4,774
On October 14, the normal high in Humboldt is 61°F and the normal low 40°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Humboldt.
- Jan 24° 9°
- Feb 29° 12°
- Mar 43° 25°
- Apr 57° 36°
- May 68° 49°
- Jun 78° 59°
- Jul 81° 63°
- Aug 79° 60°
- Sep 73° 51°
- Oct 60° 39°
- Nov 43° 26°
- Dec 30° 15°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Humboldt each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 81°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 9°F. The most precipitation falls in June (5.48 in), the least in January (0.91 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24°F | 9°F | 16.4°F | 0.91 | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 20 min |
| February | 29°F | 12°F | 20.8°F | 1.04 | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 43°F | 25°F | 33.6°F | 2.02 | – | <1 | 25 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 57°F | 36°F | 46.4°F | 3.30 | – | <1 | 9 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 68°F | 49°F | 58.4°F | 4.80 | – | <1 | 1 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 78°F | 59°F | 68.5°F | 5.48 | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| July | 81°F | 63°F | 72.1°F | 4.15 | – | 3 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 79°F | 60°F | 69.5°F | 4.55 | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 73°F | 51°F | 61.8°F | 3.33 | – | <1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 60°F | 39°F | 49.6°F | 2.45 | – | <1 | 8 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 43°F | 26°F | 34.7°F | 1.61 | – | <1 | 22 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 30°F | 15°F | 22.3°F | 1.32 | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 37°F | 46.2°F | 34.96 | – | 6 | 152 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4°C | −13°C | −8.7°C | 23 mm |
| February | −1°C | −11°C | −6.2°C | 26 mm |
| March | 6°C | −4°C | 0.9°C | 51 mm |
| April | 14°C | 2°C | 8.0°C | 84 mm |
| May | 20°C | 9°C | 14.7°C | 122 mm |
| June | 25°C | 15°C | 20.3°C | 139 mm |
| July | 27°C | 17°C | 22.3°C | 105 mm |
| August | 26°C | 16°C | 20.8°C | 116 mm |
| September | 23°C | 11°C | 16.6°C | 85 mm |
| October | 16°C | 4°C | 9.8°C | 62 mm |
| November | 6°C | −3°C | 1.5°C | 41 mm |
| December | −1°C | −10°C | −5.4°C | 34 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Fort Dodge (9 miles away), gets 39 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00133980; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Humboldt?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00133980.
When is the last frost in Humboldt?
In Humboldt, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 27 in half of years and after May 7 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 9 in half of years and before September 24 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 271 year in 10 after May 7; 9 in 10 after April 15
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 91 year in 10 before September 24; 9 in 10 before October 24
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 166 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 186 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 17 in half of springs and before October 22 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Humboldt in zone 5a in ZIP code 50548, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Iowa · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00133980; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Humboldt?
In a normal year in Humboldt, 6 days a year reach 90°F and 152 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 6a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 152a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 64high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00133980.
How sunny is Humboldt?
Over a year 75% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Humboldt, 4.1 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (82%) and December the cloudiest (68%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 71% | 2.0 |
| February | 75% | 3.0 |
| March | 70% | 3.8 |
| April | 70% | 4.8 |
| May | 71% | 5.6 |
| June | 76% | 6.3 |
| July | 82% | 6.5 |
| August | 80% | 5.5 |
| September | 79% | 4.4 |
| October | 73% | 3.1 |
| November | 72% | 2.1 |
| December | 68% | 1.6 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Humboldt need?
A normal year in Humboldt brings 7,433 heating degree days, 38% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 622 cooling degree days, 31% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,705 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,505 | 0 |
| February | 1,236 | 0 |
| March | 972 | 0 |
| April | 560 | 2 |
| May | 233 | 29 |
| June | 37 | 143 |
| July | 7 | 227 |
| August | 17 | 157 |
| September | 150 | 55 |
| October | 486 | 9 |
| November | 907 | 0 |
| December | 1,323 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,433 | 622 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00133980. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Humboldt's climate compare?
Humboldt is warmer than 24 of the other 131 places with their own NOAA record in Iowa, and wetter than 38. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 46.2°F is warmer than 24%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Humboldt is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Humboldt share this climate record?
4 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Gilmore City, IA484 people · 11 mi W
- Bode, IA304 people · 11 mi N
- Rutland, IA116 people · 5 mi NW
- Bradgate, IA76 people · 12 mi NW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Humboldt's climate
What is the coldest month in Humboldt?
January, with a normal high of 24°F and a normal low of 9°F. The warmest is July (81°F by day, 63°F at night).
Does it snow in Humboldt?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Humboldt's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Fort Dodge (9 miles away), records 39 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Humboldt?
June, with 5.48 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 0.91 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Humboldt in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Humboldt in zone 5a in ZIP code 50548, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Humboldt?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 27; in one year in ten it comes after May 7. Waiting until May 7 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Iowa climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Dakota City, IA1 miles from this station, 46.8°F a year
- Fort Dodge, IA9 miles from this station, 46.5°F a year
- Pocahontas, IA22 miles from this station, 46.9°F a year
- Algona, IA24 miles from this station, 46.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made