Pocahontas has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Pocahontas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pocahontas’s climate
Read from where Pocahontas sits among Iowa’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Pocahontas averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
39 inches of snow, 33 of rain and melt
June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Pocahontas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 7.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Pocahontas’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
164 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 7.
About 39" a winter over 15 days with an inch or more, most in December.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 90% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 18 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 83°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 1.0 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 →How Pocahontas compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Iowa.
Pocahontas 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 | 26° | 8° | 0.8" | 9.3" | 7 | 7° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 13° | 1.0" | 7.4" | 7 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 1.9" | 5.8" | 8 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.6" | 1.9" | 10 | 36° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.6" | 0 | 13 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 5.2" | 0 | 11 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 3.8" | 0 | 9 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 3.0" | 0 | 9 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.4" | 8 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 25° | 1.5" | 3.7" | 6 | 25° – 47° |
| December | 31° | 15° | 1.1" | 10.3" | 7 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 37° | 32.9" | 38.8" | 103 |
Heating and cooling a home in Pocahontas
90% 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. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Pocahontas’s climate
What is the coldest month in Pocahontas?
January, with a typical high of 26° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Pocahontas?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 18 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Pocahontas get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Pocahontas?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 7, and the last spring frost by April 26.
What is the rainiest month in Pocahontas?
June, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pocahontas.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Pocahontas itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Pocahontas, 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.