Iowa Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, and Iowa City
Summary
Warm conditions continued across Iowa as temperatures averaged 24.5°C, making it the 13th warmest July on record since 1950. While central parts of the state experienced heavy downpours that triggered localised flooding, persistent dryness continued across western and northern counties. Globally, land temperatures reached historic levels as the month ranked as the 3rd warmest recorded. Conditions across the region are anticipated to remain warmer than normal through late summer and early autumn.
This month in numbers
The average monthly temperature of 24.5°C stood 1.3°C above the 1961-1990 baseline, ranking 13th highest in 77 years of state records. Daytime maximums averaged 30.17°C (+0.7°C anomaly, ranking 19th highest), while overnight minimums reached 18.78°C (+1.8°C anomaly). Statewide rainfall totalled 108.2 mm, which is 2.9 mm above the long-term baseline and ranks as the 30th wettest month on record. Globally, land temperatures averaged 15.8°C, marking the 3rd warmest month recorded in an 87-year dataset.
What changed
Over the three-month May-July 2026 period, Iowa recorded an average temperature of 20.57°C, which is 0.7°C above the long-term average and ranks 14th highest in 77 years of records. Precipitation over this period reached 313.94 mm, placing it 3.4 mm below baseline. On a global scale, May to July land temperatures reached 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly), marking the 2nd warmest such period on record. Within the Upper Midwest climate region (US Upper Midwest), Iowa recorded a milder anomaly than neighbours Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, remaining the coolest member of the group despite widespread regional heat.
What’s driving change?
The elevated summer heat in the Midwest was strongly influenced by jet stream shifts that allowed high-pressure systems to linger over North America. Furthermore, exacerbated warm conditions in drought-affected areas, as dry ground heats the air directly rather than evaporating moisture. All of Iowa's 1 flood this year happened in the past month, which is tracked on our live tracker at Extreme Weather tracker. Uneven rainfall across the state caused severe localised flash flooding in central counties while leaving almost half of Iowa under abnormally dry or drought conditions.
Looking ahead
According to official long-range forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center, Iowa faces elevated odds of above-normal temperatures into autumn, with drought conditions projected to persist or expand in western areas.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Iowa
Köppen Dfa · ContinentalIowa has a continental climate (Köppen Dfa: Humid continental - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 23.2°C, while January is the coldest at -6.4°C. Annual precipitation averages around 869mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Iowa
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – Iowa
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Iowa
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – Iowa
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – Iowa
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dfa · ContinentalIowa has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±16.0°C) and a wet/dry cycle (5× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Oct (+22 mm, +38%).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Emissions & Energy
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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.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Iowa?
Iowa has a continental climate (Köppen Dfa: Humid continental - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 23.2°C, while January is the coldest at -6.4°C. Annual precipitation averages around 869mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Iowa climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Iowa climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.