Climate Comfort Score
64/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 47°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Storm Lake, IA Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 47°F
- Avg annual temp
- 64/100
- Comfort score
- 33.8"
- Annual precip
- 171d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Storm Lake
Storm Lake, Iowa averages 47°F a year and scores 64/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 51% of U.S. cities.
- 47°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 64/100
- comfort score, milder than 51% of U.S. cities
- 33.8"
- annual precipitation
- 171 days
- frost-free days per 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
38°F
Annual Precip
33.8"
Comfort Score
64/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
47°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
33.8"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Storm Lake) 64.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Storm Lake area.
How Storm Lake compares to every U.S. city
Storm Lake'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 Storm Lake
MethodologyZooming out from Storm Lake's own normal, the chart below shows how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has tracked the global mean since 1900 - the most recent decade sits warmer than the 30-year mean shown here.
- 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) | 9°F (-13°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 0.8" | 30.6 | 0.0 |
| February | 30°F (-1°C) | 13°F (-10°C) | 22°F (-6°C) | 1.0" | 26.9 | 0.0 |
| March | 43°F (6°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 1.7" | 23.9 | 0.0 |
| April | 58°F (15°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 3.5" | 9.8 | 0.1 |
| May | 69°F (21°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 4.9" | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| June | 79°F (26°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 5.3" | 0.0 | 2.4 |
| July | 82°F (28°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 3.8" | 0.0 | 4.3 |
| August | 80°F (27°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 71°F (21°C) | 4.4" | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| September | 74°F (23°C) | 53°F (11°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 3.0" | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| October | 61°F (16°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 2.4" | 7.5 | 0.1 |
| November | 44°F (7°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 1.8" | 21.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 31°F (0°C) | 15°F (-9°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 1.1" | 29.8 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 0.8"
February 1.0"
March 1.7"
April 3.5"
May 4.9"
June 5.3"
July 3.8"
August 4.4"
September 3.0"
October 2.4"
November 1.8"
December 1.1"
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 13
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 25
50% probability date
Growing Season
171 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,230
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
754
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Storm Lake's climate means for you
Storm Lake runs 47°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 171 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near April 25 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 7,230 heating and 754 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: Storm Lake, IA
Storm Lake, Iowa runs an annual average of 47°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 57°F to a mean daily low of 38°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Drawn from station USC00137979, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.
Beyond temperature, Storm Lake averages 33.8 inches of precipitation annually, predominantly as rainfall - a real factor for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. The frost-free season averages 171 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near April 25 and the first fall freeze near October 13. Turning to energy use, 7,230 heating degree days and 754 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Storm Lake scores 64/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Storm Lake, IA? ▼
The average annual temperature in Storm Lake, Iowa is 47°F. The warmest month averages 82°F (28°C) and the coldest averages 9°F (-13°C).
How much rain does Storm Lake get? ▼
Storm Lake receives 33.8 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Storm Lake? ▼
Storm Lake 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 Storm Lake? ▼
Storm Lake has approximately 171 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around April 25 and the first fall freeze around October 13.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Storm Lake? ▼
Storm Lake has 7,230 heating degree days and 754 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 Storm Lake climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00137979 near Storm Lake.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00137979. 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.