Altoona, IA Climate


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Altoona, IA has a humid continental climate, which means there are warm summers and cold winters. The average temperature in the summer is around 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average winter temperature is around 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation levels are around 40 inches annually, with most of it falling in the spring and summer months. Snowfall amounts vary from year to year, but generally range between 12 and 20 inches annually. The area experiences all four seasons, although winter can last well into April due to cold air coming down from Canada.

Altoona, Iowa gets 36 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Altoona averages 34 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 201 sunny days per year in Altoona. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Altoona gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 109 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.


Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 86 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 12
Rain: averages 36 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 34 inches of snow a year


Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Altoona is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Iowa.

8.6 Summer - 4.7 Winter
June, September and May are the most pleasant months in Altoona, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

  ClimateAltoona, IowaUnited States
    Unlock38.1 in.
  33.7 in.  Unlock
    Unlock106.2 days
  201 days  Unlock
  85.5°85.8°
    Unlock21.7°
  6.9  Unlock
    Unlock4.3
  955 ft.  Unlock
Climate
YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Altoona with an average high temperature of 85.5°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Iowa. In Altoona, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Altoona are September, June and August.
In Altoona, there are 16.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Altoona with an average of 12.2°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.
In Altoona, there are 138.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.
In Altoona, there are 13.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.
The humidity is usually comfortable in Altoona but some summer months can be unpleasant. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months in Altoona are July, August and June.
June is the wettest month in Altoona with 4.9 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.9 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 39% of yearly precipitation and 9% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 36.0 inches in Altoona means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.
May is the rainiest month in Altoona with 12.4 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 7.1 rainy days. There are 108.7 rainy days annually in Altoona, which is one of the rainiest places in Iowa. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 29% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 20% chance of a rainy day.
An annual snowfall of 33.7 inches in Altoona means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa. January is the snowiest month in Altoona with 8.4 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.
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