Ottosen, IA climate
Ottosen has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Ottosen feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Ottosen 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 8° | 0.9" | 9.3" | 7 | 6° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 13° | 1.0" | 7.4" | 7 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 1.8" | 5.8" | 8 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.6" | 1.9" | 10 | 37° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.7" | 0 | 13 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 5.1" | 0 | 11 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 3.8" | 0 | 9 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 3.1" | 0 | 9 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.4" | 8 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 25° | 1.5" | 3.7" | 6 | 25° – 47° |
| December | 31° | 14° | 1.1" | 10.3" | 7 | 7° – 30° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 33.2" | 38.8" | 103 |
“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 Ottosen
Ottosen gets 33 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 160 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 71% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Ottosen
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Ottosen, 92% of that work is heating and 8% 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 Ottosen 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 Ottosen averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 91% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Ottosen’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 6° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Ottosen’s climate
What is the coldest month in Ottosen?
January, with a typical high of 25° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Ottosen?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 10 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Ottosen get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Ottosen?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 6, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Ottosen?
June, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Ottosen itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Pocahontas, IA (19 mi, snow) and Algona, IA (14 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.