2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Portsmouth, NH vs Ames, IA

Highlights

On average, there are 202 sunny days per year in Ames. Portsmouth averages 198 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Ames, Iowa gets 35.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. Portsmouth, New Hampshire gets 50.1 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. Portsmouth averages 53.2 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

Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Summer High: the July high is around 81.9 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 13.8
Rain: averages 50.1 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 53.2 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Ames is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Iowa.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Portsmouth is 6.8 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in New Hampshire.

Today's Weather - Portsmouth, NH

58°F

Today's Weather - Ames, IA

58°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Portsmouth / Ames

July is the hottest month for Portsmouth with an average high temperature of 81.9°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in New Hampshire. In Portsmouth, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Portsmouth are June, August and July.

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 Portsmouth with an average of 13.8°. This is one of the warmest places in New Hampshire.

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

In Portsmouth, there are 8.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in New Hampshire.

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

In Portsmouth, there are 149.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in New Hampshire.

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 Portsmouth, there are 7.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in New Hampshire.

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

November is the wettest month in Portsmouth with 4.8 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 3.5 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 28% of yearly precipitation and 23% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 50.1 inches in Portsmouth means that it is one of the wettest places in New Hampshire.


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.

May is the rainiest month in Portsmouth with 11.4 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 7.7 rainy days. There are 118.3 rainy days annually in Portsmouth, which is one of the least rainy places in New Hampshire. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 27% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 23% 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 53.2 inches in Portsmouth means that it is one of the least snowy places in New Hampshire.

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

January is the snowiest month in Portsmouth with 16.7 inches of snow, and 6 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.