Climate · Clarence

Clarence, IA climate

Clarence has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
83°
376th coolest of 1,026 Iowa towns
January low
12°
346th mildest of 1,026 Iowa towns
Rain + melted snow
38 in
136th wettest of 1,026 Iowa towns
Snow a winter
40 in
91st snowiest of 1,020 Iowa towns
A normal year

What a year in Clarence feels like

Winter

32° / 16°
Typical high / low · 14 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

60° / 38°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 21

Summer

82° / 61°
Typical high / low · 9 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

62° / 41°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 15
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Clarence weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January28°12°1.3" 11.2"1020 11° – 33°
February33°17°1.5" 8.0"914 11° – 37°
March47°27°2.3" 6.2"116 29° – 52°
April60°38°3.8" 1.7"121 40° – 56°
May72°50°4.6" 0130 54° – 68°
June81°60°5.6" 0130 67° – 74°
July83°63°4.4" 0100 68° – 80°
August81°61°4.0" 0100 66° – 77°
September75°53°3.7" 090 58° – 69°
October63°41°3.0" 0.7"90 46° – 57°
November47°29°2.2" 2.9"92 30° – 48°
December34°19°1.8" 9.1"1013 12° – 36°
Year59°39°38.0"39.8"12455

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Clarence

Clarence gets 38 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 55 days of the year.

38 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 56% of U.S. towns
40 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 70% of U.S. towns
55 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 68% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
11"
Frost & the growing season

About 175 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 175 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 54% of U.S. towns.

150
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
17
nights below 0° in a normal year
9
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Clarence

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Clarence, 88% of that work is heating and 12% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

88%heating
6,573 heating degree daysMore heating than 67% of U.S. towns
882 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 53% of U.S. towns

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.

Compared with other towns

How Clarence compares

Summer heat83° July high
Cooler than 62% of U.S. towns376th coolest of 1,026 Iowa towns
Winter cold12° January low
Colder than 77% of U.S. towns346th mildest of 1,026 Iowa towns
Precipitation38" a year
Drier than 56% of U.S. towns136th wettest of 1,026 Iowa towns
Snow40" a winter
Snowier than 70% of U.S. towns91st snowiest of 1,020 Iowa towns
Growing season175 frost-free days
Shorter than 54% of U.S. towns155th longest of 1,026 Iowa towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.9°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Clarence averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 80% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.7° now 24°, was 22°
🌷 Spring+1.0° now 49°, was 48°
☀️ Summer−0.0° now 72°, was 72°
🍂 Fall+0.8° now 51°, was 50°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Clarence’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 11° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Clarence’s climate

What is the coldest month in Clarence?

January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 12°.

What is the hottest month in Clarence?

July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Clarence get?

About 40 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Clarence?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by April 21.

What is the rainiest month in Clarence?

June, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Clarence itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lowden, IA (7 mi, snow) and Tipton, IA (8 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01