Cost to Own
United StatesIowaWapello CountyClimate Station OTTUMWA INDUSTRIAL AP, IA US Distance 5.6 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Wapello County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

85.7°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 13.8°F.

Wapello County gets 36.97" of precipitation a year and 23.6" of snow, and 39% 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 32.0° 13.8° 1.01" 7.1"
February 36.8° 18.0° 1.41" 5.8"
March 50.2° 28.9° 2.24" 3.0"
April 62.8° 39.4° 3.75" 1.4"
May 72.9° 51.0° 5.03" 0.0"
June 82.2° 61.0° 5.38" 0.0"
July 85.7° 64.5° 3.87" 0.0"
August 84.0° 62.0° 4.44" 0.0"
September 77.3° 53.3° 3.50" 0.0"
October 64.2° 41.6° 2.81" 0.5"
November 49.7° 29.5° 2.09" 1.6"
December 37.2° 19.7° 1.44" 4.2"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 39% falling in the wettest three months (May, Jun, Jul).

January 1.01"
February 1.41"
March 2.24"
April 3.75"
May 5.03"
June 5.38"
July 3.87"
August 4.44"
September 3.50"
October 2.81"
November 2.09"
December 1.44"
Annual total 36.97"

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 985
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 6,145
Approximate annual cooling cost At 14.14¢/kWh, Iowa average $139
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $304

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 Wapello County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Wapello County?

Wapello County averages a high of 85.7°F in July and a low of 13.8°F in January. Annual precipitation is 36.97 inches, including 23.6 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Wapello County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 39% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in Wapello County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 85.7°F. That drives 985 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Wapello County?

Yes. Wapello County averages 23.6 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station OTTUMWA INDUSTRIAL AP, IA US (USW00014950), 5.6 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.