Forecast confidence: Medium· models disagree by 4°F
Iowa City weather
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Cloudy,much the same tomorrow
NWS, the American and the European model put Iowa City's high today between 72° and 77°, a 4° split. Tomorrow: cloudy, around 75°, with a 2% chance of rain.
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Iowa City weather in numbers
measured normals and 10 years of recorded weather
Iowa City swings 67°F across the year, from 82°F highs in July to 15°F lows in January, and June is usually the wettest month in a year that brings about 37 in of precipitation. Over 10 years of recorded weather it averages 108 days a year at 77°F or above, 34 of them at 86°F or above, 118 frost nights, and rain on 109 days.
Warmest month
July
82°F average high
Coldest month
January
15°F average low
Wettest month
June
37 in a year
Comfortable
4 months
April, May, September and October
Residents
74,000
share this forecast
Most accurate here
European
94/100 CheckWeather Score
Warm days
108 days
a year at 77°F or above
Frost nights
118 nights
a year below 32°F
Rain days
109 days
a year with 0.04 in or more
Day counts are from the ERA5 reanalysis for Iowa City’s grid square, 2016 to 2025, counted the same way for every city so the numbers compare. A reanalysis square is an area, not a weather station, so it is good for counting days and not for a single day’s record.
The weather map: all three models at once
NWS, American, European side by side around Iowa City and nearby towns.Live rain radar →
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Iowa City hourly forecast: next 14 hours
consensus of the three models
Rain in the next 24 hours, model by model
each model's own hourly precipitation, side by side
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Iowa City 10-day forecast, out to 14 days
where the models agree, and where they split
Today
Cloudy
75°54°
±4°
Tomorrow
Cloudy
75°53°
models agree
Mon
Cloudy
70°54°
models agree
Tue
Cloudy
70°51°
models agree
Wed
Partly cloudy
72°55°
models agree
Thu
Partly cloudy
72°56°
±5°
Fri
Light drizzle
72°56°
±7°
Sat
Drizzle
67°56°
±10°
Sun
Drizzle
64°50°
±7°
Mon
Light drizzle
61°44°
±5°
Tue
Cloudy
49°41°
models agree
Wed
Cloudy
53°40°
models agree
Thu
Cloudy
59°41°
±10°
Iowa City, Iowa (IA) is at its warmest in Jul (average highs near 82°F) and coldest in Jan (lows around 15°F), with roughly 37 in of precipitation across the year. Below, compare what NWS, American, European forecast for Iowa City right now, and see exactly where they disagree.
average daytime high and overnight low across a typical year (1991-2020)
Jan
28°
15°
Feb
38°
17°
Mar
48°
30°
Apr
60°
39°
May
72°
51°
Jun
81°
62°
Jul
82°
65°
Aug
81°
64°
Sep
75°
55°
Oct
62°
43°
Nov
46°
31°
Dec
35°
23°
Source: 1991-2020 averages, ERA5 for this place adjusted with NASA POWER.
How Iowa City's weather has changed since 1995
30 years of daily data, 1995-2024, shown as change
+1.0°F
Around Iowa City, the difference between 1995-2004 and 2015-2024 is +1.0°F, within the normal swing from year to year.
1995each stripe is one year2024
cooler than averagearound averagewarmer than average
Days above 95°F
no clear change
2015-2024 against 1995-2004. Within the normal year-to-year swing
Frost nights
1 fewer night a year
2015-2024 against 1995-2004, below 32°F. Within the normal year-to-year swing
Average wind
−1%
2015-2024 against 1995-2004. Within the normal year-to-year swing
Bars: each year against the area's 30-year average. Dashed lines: the average of the first and the last ten years.
See the numbers year by year
Year
Temp vs average
Days >95°F vs avg
Frost nights vs avg
Wind vs avg
1995
−1.7°F
−5
+9
−1%
1996
−3.1°F
−5
+12
+3%
1997
−1.3°F
+2
+16
−1%
1998
+1.8°F
−4
−18
−5%
1999
+0.5°F
+2
−9
+1%
2000
±0.0°F
−1
−4
+1%
2001
+0.1°F
−2
−3
−1%
2002
+0.3°F
−0
+13
+1%
2003
−0.6°F
+8
−2
−1%
2004
+0.1°F
−5
−5
+1%
2005
+2.1°F
+22
−6
−3%
2006
+1.9°F
+9
−7
+3%
2007
±0.0°F
−5
+0
+3%
2008
−3.1°F
−5
+11
+1%
2009
−2.6°F
−5
−7
+1%
2010
−0.6°F
−5
−11
−3%
2011
+0.1°F
−0
−2
−1%
2012
+3.6°F
+23
−14
+1%
2013
−1.3°F
+4
+16
+1%
2014
−3.1°F
−5
+9
+5%
2015
+0.5°F
−5
−13
−1%
2016
+1.4°F
−5
−13
−1%
2017
+1.8°F
−3
−11
+3%
2018
−0.4°F
+3
+23
−5%
2019
−1.8°F
−5
+17
−1%
2020
±0.0°F
+1
+11
−1%
2021
+0.7°F
−5
−8
−3%
2022
−0.6°F
+3
+13
+8%
2023
+2.5°F
+10
−2
−5%
2024
+2.7°F
−2
−21
−1%
Source: NASA POWER daily data from the MERRA-2 reanalysis, 1995-2024. Each value describes a grid square of about 50 km around Iowa City, not a weather station, and a square that takes in sea or a large lake runs milder than the city itself. That is why this section shows change against the square's own 30-year average rather than counts you could compare with a local station. Rain and snow are left out because their long-term record in this dataset is not consistent over time. "Within the normal year-to-year swing" means the change is smaller than the usual differences between single years.
Which forecast is most accurate in Iowa City?
CheckWeather Score, graded against the weather that actually happened
Provider
CheckWeather-score
Temp
Wind
Rain
Run by
European ★ Best
94
/100rank #1
96±0.4°F
98±0.7 mph
8994% hit
ECMWF - European Centre for Medium-Range Weather ForecastsReading, United Kingdom
American
73
/100rank #2
81±1.9°F
96±1.3 mph
4771% hit
NOAA / NCEP (United States)College Park, Maryland, USA
The accuracy above is the measured record. This is your opinion: which forecast service do you trust most in United States? Give each 1 to 5 stars.
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Where the models disagree
temperature and rain, judged separately
Day
Temperature
Rain
Today
±4°72° to 77°
±2%2% to 4% chance
Tomorrow
±3°73° to 76°
±2%0% to 2% chance
Mon
±2°69° to 71°
±3%1% to 4% chance
Tue
±1°69° to 70°
±24%7% to 31% chance
Wed
±1°72° to 73°
models agree20% to 20% chance
The models often agree on temperature and still split on rain, and rain is usually what decides whether a plan survives. A wide rain range means the shower is genuinely uncertain, not that the forecast is wrong.
Sunrise and sunset in Iowa City
today, local time
Sunrise
07:28
Sunset
18:11
Daylight
10h 43m
Common questions
What's the weather in Iowa City today?
Saturday, October 24: NWS, the American and the European model put Iowa City's high today between 72° and 77°, a 4° split. Tomorrow: cloudy, around 75°, with a 2% chance of rain. The forecast on this page refreshes live.
Will it rain in Iowa City today or tomorrow?
Rain looks unlikely in Iowa City on Sunday, October 25: no model gives more than 2% (NWS 2%, American 2%, European 0%). On Saturday, October 24 the highest chance of rain from any model is 4%. The hourly strip and the model-by-model rain panel above update live.
Which forecast is most accurate for Iowa City?
Over the last 30 days, the European model has been the most accurate for Iowa City (CheckWeather Score 94/100), ahead of the American at 73. We grade every model against the recorded weather. See the US accuracy scoreboard for the full method.
What is the warmest month in Iowa City?
July is typically the warmest month in Iowa City, with average highs around 82°F.
How cold does Iowa City get?
The coldest month in Iowa City is January, when overnight lows average about 15°F.
How much rain does Iowa City get?
Iowa City sees roughly 37 in of precipitation a year, with June usually the wettest month.
Is Iowa City getting warmer?
Not clearly. In NASA's reanalysis for the area around Iowa City, the difference between 1995-2004 and 2015-2024 is 1.0°F, within the normal swing from year to year.