Red Oak, IA climate
Red Oak has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Red Oak feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Red Oak 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 | 33° | 13° | 0.8" | 7.3" | 5 | 16 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 18° | 1.1" | 8.1" | 7 | 13 | 17° – 37° |
| March | 51° | 29° | 2.0" | 2.6" | 8 | 4 | 33° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.5" | 1.2" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 5.4" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 5.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 53° | 3.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.5" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 28° | 1.7" | 1.2" | 6 | 2 | 29° – 49° |
| December | 37° | 19° | 1.3" | 6.5" | 6 | 10 | 14° – 34° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 35.6" | 27.4" | 102 | 44 |
“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 Red Oak
Red Oak gets 36 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 44 days of the year.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first one by October 13. That leaves about 169 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 62% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Red Oak
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Red Oak, 85% of that work is heating and 15% 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 Red Oak 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 Red Oak averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 86% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Red Oak’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 33° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Red Oak’s climate
What is the coldest month in Red Oak?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Red Oak?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 26 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Red Oak get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Red Oak?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 13, and the last spring frost by April 24.
What is the rainiest month in Red Oak?
May, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 36 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Red Oak itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Red Oak, IA (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.