Cost to Own
United States › Iowa › Dubuque County › Climate Station DUBUQUE RGNL AP, IA US Distance 10 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Dubuque County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

81.5°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 11.1°F.

Dubuque County gets 38.2" of precipitation a year and 42.5" of snow, and 37% 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 26.5° 11.1° 1.32" 10.7"
February 30.9° 15.0° 1.57" 10.6"
March 44.1° 26.3° 2.25" 5.7"
April 57.7° 37.2° 4.06" 1.9"
May 69.2° 48.5° 4.30" 0.0"
June 78.5° 58.6° 5.19" 0.0"
July 81.5° 62.0° 4.80" 0.0"
August 79.6° 60.0° 3.95" 0.0"
September 72.9° 51.8° 3.82" 0.0"
October 59.9° 39.9° 2.93" 0.5"
November 44.8° 28.1° 2.21" 2.8"
December 31.8° 17.2° 1.80" 10.3"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 37% falling in the wettest three months (May, Jun, Jul).

January 1.32"
February 1.57"
March 2.25"
April 4.06"
May 4.30"
June 5.19"
July 4.80"
August 3.95"
September 3.82"
October 2.93"
November 2.21"
December 1.80"
Annual total 38.2"

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 638
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 7,084
Approximate annual cooling cost At 14.14¢/kWh, Iowa average $90
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $351

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 Dubuque County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Dubuque County?

Dubuque County averages a high of 81.5°F in July and a low of 11.1°F in January. Annual precipitation is 38.2 inches, including 42.5 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Dubuque County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 37% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in Dubuque County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 81.5°F. That drives 638 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Dubuque County?

Yes. Dubuque County averages 42.5 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station DUBUQUE RGNL AP, IA US (USW00094908), 10 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.