Elk Run Heights, IA climate
Elk Run Heights has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade6° cooler than normal today. The forecast high is 62°, and a typical Oct 2 in Elk Run Heights peaks around 68°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Elk Run Heights feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Elk Run Heights 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 | 27° | 9° | 1.1" | 10.1" | 8 | 21 | 7° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 14° | 1.2" | 9.3" | 8 | 18 | 9° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 1.9" | 4.6" | 10 | 8 | 27° – 51° |
| April | 60° | 36° | 3.9" | 1.7" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 5.9" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 4.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 3.7" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 27° | 2.0" | 3.1" | 8 | 3 | 28° – 48° |
| December | 32° | 16° | 1.5" | 9.9" | 8 | 13 | 9° – 34° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 37.1" | 39.1" | 114 | 64 |
“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 Elk Run Heights
Elk Run Heights 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 114 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 64 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 10. That leaves about 165 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 65% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Elk Run Heights
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Elk Run Heights, 88% of that work is heating and 12% 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.
Elk Run Heights and its neighbors
Elk Run Heights borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.1°. Raymond has the coldest January nights (9°) and Evansdale the hottest July afternoons (84°). Elk Run Heights’s January low is 9° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Elk Run Heights 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 Elk Run Heights averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°). The shift is smaller than in 83% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Elk Run Heights’s spot on NOAA’s grid
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 9° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Elk Run Heights’s climate
What is the coldest month in Elk Run Heights?
January, with a typical high of 27° and a low of 9°.
What is the hottest month in Elk Run Heights?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Elk Run Heights get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Elk Run Heights?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 10, and the last spring frost by April 27.
What is the rainiest month in Elk Run Heights?
June, with 5.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Elk Run Heights itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Waterloo Municipal Airport, IA (9 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.