2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Spirit Lake, IA vs Ames, IA

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Highlights

On average, there are 202 sunny days per year in Ames. Spirit Lake averages 212 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Ames, Iowa gets 35.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. Spirit Lake, Iowa gets 29.4 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Ames averages 29.6 inches of snow per year. Spirit Lake averages 39.3 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

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

Spirit Lake, Iowa
Summer High: the July high is around 84 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 6.9
Rain: averages 29.4 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 39.3 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Ames

The 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.

Spirit Lake

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Spirit Lake is 6.8 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

6.8 / 10

August, June and September are the most pleasant months in Spirit Lake, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Month	Spirit Lake, IA	Ames, IA
January	26° / 7°	29° / 11°
February	30° / 11°	34° / 15°
March	42° / 23°	47° / 26°
April	58° / 35°	62° / 38°
May	71° / 47°	72° / 49°
June	80° / 58°	81° / 59°
July	84° / 62°	84° / 63°
August	81° / 60°	82° / 61°
September	74° / 51°	76° / 51°
October	60° / 38°	63° / 39°
November	43° / 24°	47° / 27°
December	28° / 11°	32° / 15°

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Spirit Lake / Ames

Month	Hot Days	Freezing Days	Rainy Days	Snowy Days
January	0 / 0	31 / 30	5 / 7	4 / 5
February	0 / 0	27 / 26	5 / 6	4 / 4
March	0 / 0	26 / 23	6 / 8	3 / 2
April	0 / 0	11 / 8	9 / 11	1 / 1
May	1 / 1	1 / 1	10 / 13	0 / 0
June	3 / 2	0 / 0	11 / 12	0 / 0
July	6 / 5	0 / 0	8 / 10	0 / 0
August	3 / 3	0 / 0	8 / 10	0 / 0
September	1 / 1	1 / 0	7 / 9	0 / 0
October	0 / 0	8 / 7	7 / 9	0 / 0
November	0 / 0	23 / 21	5 / 8	3 / 1
December	0 / 0	30 / 30	5 / 7	5 / 4

July is the hottest month for Spirit Lake with an average high temperature of 84.0°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in Iowa. In Spirit Lake, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Spirit Lake are June, August and September.

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.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Spirit Lake with an average of 6.9°. This is colder than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Ames with an average of 10.7°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In Spirit Lake, there are 13.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

In Ames, there are 11.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Iowa.

In Spirit Lake, there are 156.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Iowa.

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 Spirit Lake, there are 24.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Iowa.

In Ames, there are 16.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

June is the wettest month in Spirit Lake with 4.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 40% of yearly precipitation and 6% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 29.4 inches in Spirit Lake means that it is one of the driest places in Iowa.

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.

June is the rainiest month in Spirit Lake with 10.7 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 4.6 rainy days. There are 85.8 rainy days annually in Spirit Lake, which is one of the least rainy places in Iowa. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 17% chance of a rainy day.

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.

An annual snowfall of 39.3 inches in Spirit Lake means that it is one of the snowiest places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 29.6 inches in Ames means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

December is the snowiest month in Spirit Lake with 9.6 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

December is the snowiest month in Ames with 7.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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.

Reviews for Spirit Lake 2 Reviews

Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA

re:

Over 16 years ago

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

| Reply

NC For Me · Apex, NC

re:

Over 16 years ago

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

| Reply

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Reviews for Ames 2 Reviews

Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA

re:

Over 16 years ago

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

| Reply

NC For Me · Apex, NC

re:

Over 16 years ago

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

| Reply

Start Your Review of Ames

See all reviews

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Spirit Lake, IA vs Ames, IA

Highlights

Weather Highlights

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Spirit Lake / Ames

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Spirit Lake with an average of 6.9°. This is colder than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Ames with an average of 10.7°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In Spirit Lake, there are 13.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

In Ames, there are 11.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Iowa.

In Spirit Lake, there are 156.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Iowa.

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 Spirit Lake, there are 24.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Iowa.

In Ames, there are 16.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 39.3 inches in Spirit Lake means that it is one of the snowiest places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 29.6 inches in Ames means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

December is the snowiest month in Spirit Lake with 9.6 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

December is the snowiest month in Ames with 7.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Reviews for Spirit Lake 2 Reviews

Reviews for Ames 2 Reviews

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:Spirit Lake, IA vs Ames, IA

Highlights

Weather Highlights

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Spirit Lake / Ames

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Spirit Lake with an average of 6.9°. This is colder than most places in Iowa.January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Ames with an average of 10.7°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In Spirit Lake, there are 13.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Iowa.In Ames, there are 11.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Iowa.

In Spirit Lake, there are 156.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Iowa.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 Spirit Lake, there are 24.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Iowa.In Ames, there are 16.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 39.3 inches in Spirit Lake means that it is one of the snowiest places in Iowa.An annual snowfall of 29.6 inches in Ames means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

December is the snowiest month in Spirit Lake with 9.6 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.December is the snowiest month in Ames with 7.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Reviews for Spirit Lake 2 Reviews

Reviews for Ames 2 Reviews

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Spirit Lake, IA vs Ames, IA

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Spirit Lake with an average of 6.9°. This is colder than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Ames with an average of 10.7°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In Spirit Lake, there are 13.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

In Ames, there are 11.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Iowa.

In Spirit Lake, there are 156.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Iowa.

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 Spirit Lake, there are 24.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Iowa.

In Ames, there are 16.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 39.3 inches in Spirit Lake means that it is one of the snowiest places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 29.6 inches in Ames means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

December is the snowiest month in Spirit Lake with 9.6 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

December is the snowiest month in Ames with 7.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.