Everyone wants a bit of a blissful breeze or a scoop of sunny sanctuary when looking for a place to live in Iowa.
The more sun, the more you can go outside. The more you go outside, the more you’ll feel at peace. The more you’ll feel at peace, the more you’ll enjoy where you live.
So it makes sense to try and find the places with the best weather in Iowa. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the number of sunny days, total precipitation, and the deviation from the ideal 70-degree weather for 39 places in Iowa over 10,000 people.
Grab your shades and put away your raincoat as we look at the cities with the best weather in Iowa.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Cities With The Best Weather In Iowa For 2024
What city has the best weather in Iowa, with more than 10,000 people? The city with the best weather in Iowa is Council Bluffs with 26.2 sunny days and an average high of 61.6 degrees.
Read on below to see where your city ranked.
And if you already knew these places were beautiful, check out the best places to live in Iowa or the cheapest places in Iowa.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In Iowa For 2024
Population: 62,309
Average Annual High: 61.6 degrees
Average Annual Low: 40.2 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 26.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 32.2 inches
Sunny Days: 307.5 days
More on Council Bluffs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 10,316
Average Annual High: 60.4 degrees
Average Annual Low: 40.5 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 27.8 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 36.4 inches
Sunny Days: 304.4 days
More on Pella: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 24,758
Average Annual High: 61.7 degrees
Average Annual Low: 41.2 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 24.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 38.4 inches
Sunny Days: 299.0 days
More on Ottumwa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 82,792
Average Annual High: 59.8 degrees
Average Annual Low: 37.4 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 33.1 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 28.4 inches
Sunny Days: 310.2 days
More on Sioux City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 10,705
Average Annual High: 62.3 degrees
Average Annual Low: 42.6 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 21.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 39.1 inches
Sunny Days: 297.3 days
More on Keokuk: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 25,537
Average Annual High: 61.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 41.8 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 22.4 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 38.0 inches
Sunny Days: 297.4 days
More on Burlington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 10,832
Average Annual High: 61.7 degrees
Average Annual Low: 42.7 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 18.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 38.9 inches
Sunny Days: 293.6 days
More on Fort Madison: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 26,413
Average Annual High: 59.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 39.1 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 30.5 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 35.3 inches
Sunny Days: 303.3 days
More on Clinton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 11,558
Average Annual High: 60.5 degrees
Average Annual Low: 40.2 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 25.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 36.7 inches
Sunny Days: 297.4 days
More on Oskaloosa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 10,020
Average Annual High: 58.9 degrees
Average Annual Low: 37.8 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 29.0 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 33.8 inches
Sunny Days: 302.1 days
More on Carroll: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In Iowa With The Best Weather
To rank the most fair weather cities in Iowa, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Hawkeye State get the best weather.
We used the following criteria to find the best weather:
- Number of sunny days
- Highest average low
- Average high deviation from 70 degrees
- Least amount of rain
- Least amount of snow
We ranked each city of over 10,000 people in Iowa from best to worst on each criterion. We then averaged each ranking into a weather quality index. The city with the best index, Council Bluffs, was anointed the city with the best weather in Iowa.
Before we get too far, here are the annual precipitation rates for major cities:
- Des Moines — 35.5 inches
- Cedar Rapids — 37.6 inches
- Davenport — 35.8 inches
The cities with the best weather in Iowa are Council Bluffs, Pella, Ottumwa, Sioux City, Keokuk, Burlington, Fort Madison, Clinton, Oskaloosa, and Carroll.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places with the worst weather in Iowa:
- Dubuque
- Marion
- Boone
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Places With The Best Weather In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | Sunny Days | Avg. High | Precipitation (Inches) | Snow (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Council Bluffs | 62,309 | 307.5 | 61.6 | 32.2 | 26.2 |
| 2 | Pella | 10,316 | 304.4 | 60.4 | 36.4 | 27.8 |
| 3 | Ottumwa | 24,758 | 299.0 | 61.7 | 38.4 | 24.2 |
| 4 | Sioux City | 82,792 | 310.2 | 59.8 | 28.4 | 33.1 |
| 5 | Keokuk | 10,705 | 297.3 | 62.3 | 39.1 | 21.3 |
| 6 | Burlington | 25,537 | 297.4 | 61.1 | 38.0 | 22.4 |
| 7 | Fort Madison | 10,832 | 293.6 | 61.7 | 38.9 | 18.2 |
| 8 | Clinton | 26,413 | 303.3 | 59.1 | 35.3 | 30.5 |
| 9 | Oskaloosa | 11,558 | 297.4 | 60.5 | 36.7 | 25.3 |
| 10 | Carroll | 10,020 | 302.1 | 58.9 | 33.8 | 29.0 |
| 11 | Muscatine | 23,888 | 295.4 | 60.5 | 37.1 | 25.7 |
| 12 | Indianola | 15,165 | 298.7 | 60.2 | 36.1 | 29.7 |
| 13 | Bettendorf | 34,663 | 299.1 | 59.8 | 35.9 | 30.0 |
| 14 | Davenport | 101,863 | 298.1 | 59.8 | 35.8 | 29.8 |
| 15 | Des Moines | 208,020 | 299.5 | 59.9 | 35.5 | 33.7 |
| 16 | Johnston | 19,550 | 301.6 | 59.9 | 35.5 | 35.8 |
| 17 | Clive | 16,634 | 301.6 | 59.9 | 35.5 | 35.0 |
| 18 | Ankeny | 51,489 | 301.9 | 59.5 | 35.5 | 30.8 |
| 19 | Newton | 15,147 | 301.2 | 59.5 | 35.7 | 28.4 |
| 20 | Iowa City | 71,832 | 297.5 | 60.1 | 36.7 | 27.0 |
| 21 | Altoona | 15,808 | 301.9 | 59.6 | 35.6 | 32.4 |
| 22 | Coralville | 20,038 | 297.5 | 59.9 | 36.6 | 26.9 |
| 23 | North Liberty | 14,972 | 300.2 | 59.5 | 36.4 | 26.8 |
| 24 | West Des Moines | 61,266 | 299.0 | 59.9 | 35.5 | 34.8 |
| 25 | Urbandale | 42,099 | 301.6 | 59.7 | 35.5 | 35.1 |
| 26 | Waukee | 16,956 | 301.6 | 59.6 | 35.3 | 35.3 |
| 27 | Storm Lake | 10,814 | 309.6 | 57.4 | 33.5 | 36.0 |
| 28 | Ames | 62,815 | 300.6 | 58.8 | 36.4 | 28.5 |
| 29 | Spencer | 11,186 | 308.6 | 56.4 | 30.2 | 36.2 |
| 30 | Fort Dodge | 24,789 | 300.1 | 57.9 | 34.7 | 34.7 |
| 31 | Waterloo | 68,432 | 301.4 | 57.5 | 35.3 | 34.4 |
| 32 | Cedar Falls | 40,439 | 301.4 | 57.5 | 35.3 | 34.9 |
| 33 | Marshalltown | 27,770 | 298.0 | 58.3 | 36.6 | 26.3 |
| 34 | Waverly | 10,013 | 301.4 | 57.3 | 35.4 | 34.2 |
| 35 | Mason City | 27,643 | 302.6 | 56.0 | 35.0 | 38.9 |
| 36 | Cedar Rapids | 128,829 | 297.3 | 58.9 | 37.6 | 28.6 |
| 37 | Boone | 12,631 | 295.9 | 58.8 | 36.5 | 33.2 |
| 38 | Marion | 36,311 | 296.2 | 58.8 | 37.7 | 31.2 |
| 39 | Dubuque | 58,409 | 295.2 | 57.7 | 36.2 | 37.5 |