Windsor Heights, IA climate
Windsor Heights has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Windsor Heights feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Windsor Heights 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° | 0.9" | 9.4" | 8 | 18 | 13° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 17° | 1.1" | 10.2" | 8 | 15 | 16° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 28° | 2.1" | 4.4" | 10 | 5 | 31° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 3.8" | 1.2" | 12 | 1 | 42° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 5.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 65° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 41° | 2.6" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 29° | 1.8" | 2.7" | 8 | 2 | 30° – 50° |
| December | 35° | 19° | 1.3" | 7.9" | 8 | 10 | 11° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 35.3" | 36.5" | 113 | 52 |
“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 Windsor Heights
Windsor Heights gets 35 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 52 days of the year.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first one by October 20. That leaves about 184 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 57% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Windsor Heights
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Windsor Heights, 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.
Windsor Heights and its neighbors
Windsor Heights borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.4°. West Des Moines has the coldest January nights (13°) and Des Moines the hottest July afternoons (85°). Windsor Heights’s January low is 13° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Windsor Heights 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 Windsor Heights averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Windsor Heights’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 7°.
Common questions about Windsor Heights’s climate
What is the coldest month in Windsor Heights?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Windsor Heights?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 65°. About 22 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Windsor Heights get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Windsor Heights?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by April 18.
What is the rainiest month in Windsor Heights?
May, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 35 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Windsor Heights itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Des Moines Intl Airport, IA (6 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.