Iowa Climate
Top 5 Cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, and Iowa City
This month in numbers
Iowa experienced a significantly warmer than average start to the year. The average temperature for February to April 2026 was 5.76°C, ranking as the 4th warmest such period in 77 years of records, with an anomaly of +3.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures during this three-month period were also notably high, averaging 12.54°C, which ranks as the 3rd warmest on record. April 2026 itself was the 10th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 11.5°C, 2.3°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures.
What changed
This exceptionally warm three-month period for Iowa stands out, with the state ranking 17th globally for its 3-month temperature anomaly. The broader Upper Midwest US climate region also experienced warmer than average conditions, with Iowa's April anomaly being 0.79°C warmer than its group average.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Iowa is part of a broader trend, with the state's long-term average temperature showing an increase of +1.09°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This warming trend is consistent with the global pattern of land warming faster than the ocean. Iowa has also seen a significant amount of severe weather. April 2026 set a new record for the most severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings issued in Iowa for any April since 1986. There have been three wildfires reported in Iowa between May 14 and May 21, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, an unusual concentration for the season. Additionally, two drought events have been logged for Iowa over the past 12 months, with the recent two representing 100% of that annual total, indicating an unusual concentration. Recent heavy rains in mid-May have brought some improvement to soil moisture levels, though some areas in northwest Iowa remain in moderate to severe drought. For more details on active extreme weather events, visit Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The Climate Prediction Center's Seasonal Drought Outlook suggests that drought conditions in far northwest Iowa are likely to persist through July.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Iowa
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Iowa changing?
Iowa is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Iowa come from?
Climate data for Iowa comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Iowa climate data cover?
The Iowa climate profile covers Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City and surrounding areas. Iowa climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Iowa climate update refreshed?
The Iowa climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.