Cedar Rapids, IA climate
Cedar Rapids has cold winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cedar Rapids feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cedar Rapids weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | 1.0" | 7.7" | 6 | 16 | 10° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 16° | 1.3" | 7.8" | 6 | 14 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 2.0" | 4.5" | 7 | 6 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 49° | 4.5" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 5.7" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 81° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.6" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 28° | 2.2" | 0.8" | 6 | 1 | 30° – 48° |
| December | 34° | 17° | 1.6" | 7.7" | 8 | 11 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 37.2" | 29.2" | 96 | 48 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids gets 37 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 48 days of the year.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first one by October 11. That leaves about 165 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 65% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Cedar Rapids
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cedar Rapids, 90% of that work is heating and 10% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Cedar Rapids and its neighbors
Cedar Rapids borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Hiawatha has the coldest January nights (11°) and Bertram the hottest July afternoons (84°). Cedar Rapids’s January low is 11° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Cedar Rapids compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cedar Rapids averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°). The shift is smaller than in 77% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cedar Rapids’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 11° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Cedar Rapids’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cedar Rapids?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Cedar Rapids?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 12 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cedar Rapids get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Cedar Rapids?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 11, and the last spring frost by April 27.
What is the rainiest month in Cedar Rapids?
June, with 5.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cedar Rapids itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Swisher #2, IA (8 mi, snow) and Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport, IA (6 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.