Iowa Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, and Iowa City
This month in numbers
Iowa experienced its 33rd warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 21.28°C, which is 0.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Looking at the broader picture, the April–June 2026 period ranked as the 12th warmest on record for average temperature, at 16.24°C, a full 1°C above the baseline. Globally, land temperatures in June 2026 were the 3rd warmest on record, at 16.46°C, and the April–June period was the 2nd warmest on record, at 15.74°C.
What changed
Iowa's average temperature for April–June 2026 was 1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, placing it as the 12th warmest such period in 77 years of records. This trend aligns with the national picture, as the contiguous United States also saw above-average temperatures during this period. Iowa's 1-month anomaly for June placed it 206th out of 234 regions globally, indicating it was relatively cooler compared to many other parts of the world which experienced significantly higher temperature anomalies.
What’s driving change?
The warmer temperatures in Iowa, particularly during the April–June period, are consistent with the broader trend of . Additionally, the region experienced a notable cluster of four wildfires between late June and early July, representing 100% of the annual total for Iowa over the past 12 months, which is an unusual concentration for the state. While the immediate wildfire risk in Iowa remains low due to recent rainfall and humid conditions, the national preparedness level for wildfires is currently at 4 due to heavy activity in other regions of the US. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The Climate Prediction Center's outlook for July suggests a continued likelihood of above-normal precipitation across the Ohio River Basin, which may help improve drought conditions in some areas, while northern Minnesota has increased chances of below-normal precipitation.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USA
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) or 1991–2020 (rainfall). See methodology.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Iowa
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Iowa – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Iowa
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - 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 rainfall 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. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and 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.