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United States › Iowa › Black Hawk County › Climate Station WATERLOO MUNI AP, IA US Distance 7.5 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Black Hawk County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

85.0°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 10.7°F.

Black Hawk County gets 36.29" of precipitation a year and 39.1" of snow, and 40% of it falls in May, Jun, Jul.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

20° 40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 28.2° 10.7° 1.10" 10.1"
February 32.6° 15.2° 1.14" 9.3"
March 46.5° 26.9° 1.98" 4.6"
April 60.9° 37.9° 4.04" 1.7"
May 72.8° 50.2° 4.61" 0.1"
June 82.2° 60.8° 5.72" 0.0"
July 85.0° 64.0° 4.34" 0.0"
August 82.9° 61.0° 4.17" 0.0"
September 76.8° 52.4° 3.14" 0.0"
October 63.0° 40.2° 2.76" 0.3"
November 47.1° 27.7° 1.85" 3.1"
December 33.7° 17.0° 1.44" 9.9"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 40% falling in the wettest three months (May, Jun, Jul).

January 1.10"
February 1.14"
March 1.98"
April 4.04"
May 4.61"
June 5.72"
July 4.34"
August 4.17"
September 3.14"
October 2.76"
November 1.85"
December 1.44"
Annual total 36.29"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 917
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 6,714
Approximate annual cooling cost At 14.14¢/kWh, Iowa average $130
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $332

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Black Hawk County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Black Hawk County?

Black Hawk County averages a high of 85.0°F in July and a low of 10.7°F in January. Annual precipitation is 36.29 inches, including 39.1 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Black Hawk County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 40% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in Black Hawk County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 85.0°F. That drives 917 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Black Hawk County?

Yes. Black Hawk County averages 39.1 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station WATERLOO MUNI AP, IA US (USW00094910), 7.5 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, Iowa residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.