Muscatine has cold winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Muscatine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Muscatine’s climate
Read from where Muscatine sits among Iowa’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
24 inches of snow, 38 of rain and melt
June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Muscatine averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
What a year in Muscatine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 14.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Muscatine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
172 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 14.
About 24" a winter over 9 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 39 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 87% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 22 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 85°.
The nicest months are May, June, August, September and October. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Muscatine and its neighbors
Kent Estates has the coldest January nights next door (13°) and Drury the hottest July afternoons (85°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How Muscatine compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Iowa.
Muscatine 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° | 13° | 1.3" | 7.0" | 8 | 16 | 13° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 1.6" | 5.8" | 8 | 11 | 12° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 2.3" | 2.8" | 9 | 3 | 29° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.7" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 58° |
| May | 72° | 51° | 4.8" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 5.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 2.2" | 0.8" | 8 | 1 | 30° – 50° |
| December | 35° | 20° | 1.8" | 6.2" | 9 | 8 | 13° – 36° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 37.7" | 23.5" | 116 | 39 |
Heating and cooling a home in Muscatine
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Muscatine’s climate
What is the coldest month in Muscatine?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Muscatine?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 22 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Muscatine get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Muscatine?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 14, and the last spring frost by April 24.
What is the rainiest month in Muscatine?
June, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Muscatine.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Muscatine itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Muscatine, IA (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.