Cost to Own
United StatesIowaWashington CountyClimate Station WASHINGTON, IA US Distance 3.4 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Washington County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

85.0°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 11.5°F.

Washington County gets 37.94" of precipitation a year and 25.2" of snow, and 38% 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 30.2° 11.5° 1.25" 7.5"
February 35.0° 15.3° 1.56" 8.1"
March 48.3° 26.5° 2.32" 2.3"
April 62.0° 37.5° 3.65" 0.8"
May 72.2° 49.7° 5.11" 0.0"
June 81.4° 59.8° 5.17" 0.0"
July 85.0° 63.1° 4.13" 0.0"
August 83.3° 60.7° 4.18" 0.0"
September 77.3° 51.4° 3.60" 0.0"
October 64.2° 39.9° 3.03" 0.4"
November 48.7° 27.7° 2.23" 1.4"
December 35.6° 17.9° 1.71" 4.7"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 38% falling in the wettest three months (May, Jun, Jul).

January 1.25"
February 1.56"
March 2.32"
April 3.65"
May 5.11"
June 5.17"
July 4.13"
August 4.18"
September 3.60"
October 3.03"
November 2.23"
December 1.71"
Annual total 37.94"

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 867
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 6,536
Approximate annual cooling cost At 14.14¢/kWh, Iowa average $123
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $323

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 Washington County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Washington County?

Washington County averages a high of 85.0°F in July and a low of 11.5°F in January. Annual precipitation is 37.94 inches, including 25.2 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Washington County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 38% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in Washington County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 85.0°F. That drives 867 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Washington County?

Yes. Washington County averages 25.2 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station WASHINGTON, IA US (USC00138688), 3.4 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.