Northwood, IA Climate

Climate Insight: Northwood, IA

The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Northwood, Iowa as a location with an annual average temperature of 43°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 53°F to a mean daily low of 33°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00136103, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.

Northwood averages 35.5 inches of precipitation a year, with 40.2 inches typically falling as snow, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 153 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 4 and the first fall freeze near October 4. As for energy demand, 8,378 heating degree days and 392 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.

On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Northwood scores 49/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above are the practical planning tool: mild highs and lows land in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat peaks in summer, and January-driven cold sets in over deep winter. These are thirty-year averages, not a forecast - any single year can run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal.