Guthrie Center, IA climate
Guthrie Center has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Guthrie Center feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Guthrie Center 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 | 30° | 11° | 0.8" | 8.2" | 7 | 20 | 12° – 33° |
| February | 35° | 15° | 1.0" | 8.2" | 7 | 17 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 27° | 1.8" | 4.8" | 8 | 8 | 31° – 53° |
| April | 61° | 37° | 3.6" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 49° | 5.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 5.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 4.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 27° | 1.6" | 1.5" | 6 | 2 | 28° – 48° |
| December | 35° | 17° | 1.2" | 7.5" | 7 | 13 | 11° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 35.3" | 31.7" | 102 | 61 |
“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 Guthrie Center
Guthrie Center gets 35 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 61 days of the year.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 153 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 78% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Guthrie Center
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Guthrie Center, 89% of that work is heating and 11% 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.
How Guthrie Center 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 Guthrie Center averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Guthrie Center’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 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Guthrie Center’s climate
What is the coldest month in Guthrie Center?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Guthrie Center?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 21 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Guthrie Center get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Guthrie Center?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 2.
What is the rainiest month in Guthrie Center?
June, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 35 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Guthrie Center itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Jefferson, IA (24 mi, snow) and Guthrie Ctr, IA (1 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.