2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Ames, IA vs Palo Alto, CA
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Highlights
On average, there are 261 sunny days per year in Palo Alto. Ames averages 202 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.
Palo Alto, California gets 17.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. Ames, Iowa gets 35.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.
Palo Alto averages 0 inches of snow per year. Ames averages 29.6 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.
Weather Highlights
Palo Alto, California
Summer High: the July high is around 79.8 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 40.5
Rain: averages 17.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year
Ames, Iowa
Summer High: the July high is around 84.1 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 10.7
Rain: averages 35.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 29.6 inches of snow a year
BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX
Palo AltoThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Palo Alto is 8.8 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.
8.8 / 10
August, July and September are the most pleasant months in Palo Alto, while January and December are the least comfortable months.
AmesThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Ames is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Iowa.
6.9 / 10
June, September and August are the most pleasant months in Ames, while January and December are the least comfortable months.
Today's Weather - Ames, IA
5 AM PST
Sunny
56°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Today | Sunny | 77° / 55° | NE 3 to 7 mph |
| Tuesday | Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 84° / 60° | S 7 to 14 mph |
| Wednesday | Sunny | 92° / 69° | S 2 to 9 mph |
| Thursday | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 93° / 64° | SW 7 to 10 mph |
| Friday | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Sunny | 86° / 63° | N 5 to 8 mph |
| Saturday | Chance Rain Showers | 88° / 71° | SE 7 to 15 mph |
| Sunday | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 93° / 71° | S 9 to 13 mph |
Today's Weather - Palo Alto, CA
5 AM PST
Partly Cloudy
54°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Overnight | Partly Cloudy | 53° / 84° | SE 3 mph |
| Monday Night | Mostly Clear | 56° / 92° | WNW 2 to 7 mph |
| Tuesday Night | Mostly Clear | 59° / 85° | W 2 to 8 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Mostly Clear | 54° / 78° | SW 3 to 8 mph |
| Thursday Night | Mostly Clear | 52° / 80° | WSW 3 to 9 mph |
| Friday Night | Clear | 52° / 78° | W 5 to 12 mph |
| Saturday Night | Clear | 53° / 80° | WNW 6 to 13 mph |
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
| Month | Ames, IA | Palo Alto, CA |
|---|
| January | 29° / 11° | 58° / 41° |
| February | 34° / 15° | 62° / 43° |
| March | 47° / 26° | 65° / 45° |
| April | 62° / 38° | 69° / 47° |
| May | 72° / 49° | 74° / 51° |
| June | 81° / 59° | 78° / 54° |
| July | 84° / 63° | 80° / 57° |
| August | 82° / 61° | 80° / 56° |
| September | 76° / 51° | 79° / 55° |
| October | 63° / 39° | 74° / 50° |
| November | 47° / 27° | 65° / 45° |
| December | 32° / 15° | 58° / 40° |
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Ames / Palo Alto
| Month | Hot Days | Freezing Days | Rainy Days | Snowy Days |
|---|
| January | 0 / 0 | 30 / 3 | 7 / 10 | 5 / 0 |
| February | 0 / 0 | 26 / 1 | 6 / 10 | 4 / 0 |
| March | 0 / 0 | 23 / 0 | 8 / 10 | 2 / 0 |
| April | 0 / 0 | 8 / 0 | 11 / 5 | 1 / 0 |
| May | 1 / 1 | 1 / 0 | 13 / 3 | 0 / 0 |
| June | 2 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 12 / 1 | 0 / 0 |
| July | 5 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 10 / 0 | 0 / 0 |
| August | 3 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 10 / 0 | 0 / 0 |
| September | 1 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 1 | 0 / 0 |
| October | 0 / 1 | 7 / 0 | 9 / 3 | 0 / 0 |
| November | 0 / 0 | 21 / 0 | 8 / 8 | 1 / 0 |
| December | 0 / 0 | 30 / 3 | 7 / 10 | 4 / 0 |
July is the hottest month for Ames with an average high temperature of 84.1°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in Iowa. In Ames, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Ames are September, June and August.
July is the hottest month for Palo Alto with an average high temperature of 79.8°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In Palo Alto, there are 6 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Palo Alto are June, September and August.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Ames with an average of 10.7°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.
December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Palo Alto with an average of 40.2°. This is warmer than most places in California.
In Ames, there are 11.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Iowa.
In Palo Alto, there are 13.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.
In Ames, there are 145.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.
In Palo Alto, there are 7.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.
In Ames, there are 16.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.
In Palo Alto, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.
June is the wettest month in Ames with 5.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.8 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 41% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 35.7 inches in Ames means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.
February is the wettest month in Palo Alto with 3.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 58% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 17.3 inches in Palo Alto means that it is about average compared to other places in California.
May is the rainiest month in Ames with 12.6 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 6.4 rainy days. There are 108.7 rainy days annually in Ames, which is one of the rainiest places in Iowa. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 30% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 18% chance of a rainy day.
January is the rainiest month in Palo Alto with 10.2 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.1 rainy days. There are 60.6 rainy days annually in Palo Alto, which is about average compared to other places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 50% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 2% chance of a rainy day.
An annual snowfall of 29.6 inches in Ames means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.
There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Palo Alto, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.
December is the snowiest month in Ames with 7.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.
Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Palo Alto.
DID YOU KNOW?
Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.
Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.
Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.
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Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but More
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Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't More
Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but More
Start Your Review of Palo Alto
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