Polk County, IA Climate

Polk, IA County has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and warm, humid summers. Winter temperatures typically range from the low 20s to mid-30s Fahrenheit while summer temperatures range from the mid-70s to upper 80s. The county also experiences a fair amount of precipitation throughout the year with snowfall in the winter months and thunderstorms during the summer months. On average, Polk County receives about 35 inches of rain per year and about 34 inches of snowfall annually. Overall, Polk, IA County has a pleasant climate with mild winters and warm summers making it an ideal place to live or visit.

Polk County, Iowa gets 36 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Polk County averages 33 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 202 sunny days per year in Polk County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Polk County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 108 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 86 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 12
Rain: averages 36 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 33 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

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

8.6 Summer - 4.7 Winter

September, June and May are the most pleasant months in Polk County, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Polk, Iowa	United States
	35.9 in.	38.1 in.
	33.0 in.	27.8 in.
	108.1 days	106.2 days
	202 days	205 days
	85.6°	85.8°
	12.2°	21.7°
	6.9	7
	4	4.3
	903 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Polk County with an average high temperature of 85.6°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Iowa. In Polk County, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Polk County are September, June and May.

In Polk County, there are 18.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Polk County with an average of 12.2°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In Polk County, there are 136.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In Polk County, there are 14.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

The humidity is usually comfortable in Polk County but some summer months can be unpleasant. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months in Polk County are July, August and June.

June is the wettest month in Polk County with 5.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 1.0 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 39% of yearly precipitation and 9% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 35.9 inches in Polk County means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

May is the rainiest month in Polk County with 12.4 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 6.9 rainy days. There are 108.1 rainy days annually in Polk County, which is rainier than most places in Iowa. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 29% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 20% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 33.0 inches in Polk County means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa. January is the snowiest month in Polk County with 8.2 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

Reviews for Polk

See all ()

Write a Review

Start Your Review of Polk

Jobs