Iowa weather today
We follow 82 towns and cities in Iowa, each with NWS, American, European side by side and the days they disagree flagged. Today the three models put highs between 65°F in Cedar Rapids and 71°F in Sioux City, and no model gives a 50% or higher chance of rain in any of the 13 places we hold today's forecast for.
Numbers from the forecast run of Saturday, October 3. Open any town for the live, hour-by-hour comparison.
Weather in Iowa's largest cities today
consensus of NWS, American, European, forecast run of Saturday, October 3Rain chance is the highest of the three models. "Models agree" compares their forecast highs, the same confidence rule as on every city page.
Iowa weather alerts and warnings
active National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisoriesChecking the National Weather Service for active alerts in Iowa…
Today across Iowa
from the latest model run, Saturday, October 3- Council Bluffs, IA69.0°F
- West Des Moines, IA68.0°F
- Ames, IA66.8°F
- Davenport, IA66.6°F
- Davenport, IA46.7°F
- Waterloo, IA46.8°F
- Cedar Rapids, IA46.9°F
- Iowa City, IA46.9°F
Warmest and coldest use the average of NWS, American, European. "Rain most certain" ranks by the lowest chance among the models that give one (at least two), so a place only makes the list when they agree, and only from 30%. One place per area, so the list spreads across the state.
The past week across Iowa
analysed, the seven days September 22 to September 28Estimates from NASA POWER (GEOS-IT weather analysis, FLASHFlux satellite sunlight), not forecasts or station readings. Warmest and coolest are the average daily high. "Sunniest" is the sunlight that reached the ground as a share of what a clear sky would give at that latitude and date (FAO-56 clear-sky formula, approximate). Each value covers an area of about 50 km around the town, so one town per area. Rain is left out because weekly rain estimates differ too much between data sources to rank them honestly. The week ends a few days back because the sunlight data arrives with a delay.
Which forecast is most accurate in Iowa?
Over the last 30 days we graded the models in 18 Iowa cities against the recorded weather. The European model was most accurate in 18 of them. No model wins everywhere, which is why each city page names its own winner.
How we grade: the US accuracy scoreboard and our method.
Iowa climate, city by city
Across the 50 Iowa places we hold long-run averages for, typical July highs run from 80°F in Mason City to 85°F in Keokuk, and January highs from 23°F in Sioux Center to 35°F in Keokuk. Mount Pleasant is the wettest at about 37 in of precipitation a year, Council Bluffs the driest at about 28 in.
Averages from ERA5 reanalysis, the same source as the climate tables on each city page.
All 82 places in Iowa
every town and city we cover, A to Z- Algona
- Altoona
- Ames
- Anamosa
- Ankeny
- Asbury
- Atlantic
- Bettendorf
- Boone
- Burlington
- Carroll
- Cedar Falls
- Cedar Rapids
- Centerville
- Charles City
- Cherokee
- Clarinda
- Clear Lake
- Clinton
- Clive
- Coralville
- Council Bluffs
- Creston
- Davenport
- De Witt
- Decorah
- Denison
- Des Moines
- Dubuque
- Eldridge
- Estherville
- Fairfield
- Fort Dodge
- Fort Madison
- Glenwood
- Grimes
- Grinnell
- Harlan
- Hiawatha
- Independence
- Indianola
- Iowa City
- Iowa Falls
- Johnston
- Keokuk
- Knoxville
- Le Mars
- Manchester
- Maquoketa
- Marion
- Marshalltown
- Mason City
- Mount Pleasant
- Muscatine
- Nevada
- Newton
- North Liberty
- Norwalk
- Oelwein
- Orange City
- Oskaloosa
- Ottumwa
- Pella
- Perry
- Pleasant Hill
- Red Oak
- Sheldon
- Shenandoah
- Sioux Center
- Sioux City
- Spencer
- Spirit Lake
- Storm Lake
- Urbandale
- Vinton
- Washington
- Waterloo
- Waukee
- Waverly
- Webster City
- West Des Moines
- Winterset