Cedar Rapids climate
Cedar Rapids (Iowa, United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 9 °C49 °F, and about 922 mm36 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Cedar Rapids climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −228 | −1112 | −720 | 281.1 | 30 |
| Feb | 033 | −1014 | −523 | 331.3 | 27 |
| Mar | 847 | −326 | 337 | 522.0 | 23 |
| Apr | 1661 | 338 | 1049 | 933.6 | 9 |
| May | 2271 | 1050 | 1661 | 1074.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 2781 | 1661 | 2271 | 1415.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 2984 | 1865 | 2475 | 1024.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1762 | 2373 | 1064.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 2476 | 1254 | 1865 | 893.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 1661 | 540 | 1051 | 773.0 | 6 |
| Nov | 847 | −229 | 338 | 491.9 | 19 |
| Dec | 133 | −818 | −425 | 461.8 | 29 |
| Year | 2984 | −1112 | 949 | 92236 | 144 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86% | 65% | 1.8 | 9:26 |
| Feb | 83% | 64% | 2.9 | 10:31 |
| Mar | 78% | 63% | 3.8 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 74% | 61% | 4.7 | 13:18 |
| May | 75% | 63% | 5.6 | 14:33 |
| Jun | 76% | 57% | 6.1 | 15:13 |
| Jul | 74% | 48% | 6.3 | 14:57 |
| Aug | 72% | 49% | 5.5 | 13:52 |
| Sep | 72% | 46% | 4.4 | 12:25 |
| Oct | 74% | 58% | 2.9 | 10:59 |
| Nov | 79% | 62% | 2.0 | 9:44 |
| Dec | 86% | 68% | 1.5 | 9:08 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Cedar Rapids is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 29 °C84 °F and a low of 18 °C65 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −2 °C28 °F and lows −11 °C12 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 30.3 °C54.5 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 922 mm36 in. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 38% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (141 mm5.5 in), the driest is January (28 mm1.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in September to 86% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 46%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in August to 14 km/h (9 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.1 hours in December to 15.2 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February. In those months the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm. It is deepest in January, at about 17 cm.
Best time to visit Cedar Rapids
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and August and September. Average highs then reach 22 °C71 °F to 28 °C83 °F. Precipitation is 89 mm3.5 in to 107 mm4.2 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −2 °C28 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Cedar Rapids
- Winter (December–February) — highs −228 to 1 °C33 °F, lows −1112 to −8 °C18 °F, about 36 mm1.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 847 to 22 °C71 °F, lows −326 to 10 °C50 °F, about 84 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2781 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 1661 to 18 °C65 °F, about 116 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 847 to 24 °C76 °F, lows −229 to 12 °C54 °F, about 72 mm2.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Cedar Rapids compares
The nearest larger place is Des Moines, about 169 km to the west. Compared with it, Cedar Rapids is on average 0.9 °C1.6 °F cooler. It receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in July (1.2 °C2.2 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 222 places in the United States. By annual mean temperature, Cedar Rapids is the 203rd warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 128th wettest. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Windsor (Canada, Dfa), Cherkasy (Ukraine, Dfa) and Kremenchuk (Ukraine, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Climate in Davenport 104 km · 10 °C51 °F · 924 mm36 in
- Climate in Des Moines 169 km · 10 °C51 °F · 884 mm35 in
- Climate in Rockford 212 km · 9 °C48 °F · 967 mm38 in
- Climate in Madison 219 km · 8 °C47 °F · 970 mm38 in
- Climate in Peoria 225 km · 11 °C52 °F · 983 mm39 in
- Climate in Rochester 234 km · 7 °C45 °F · 886 mm35 in
- Climate in Aurora 277 km · 10 °C49 °F · 983 mm39 in
- Climate in Elgin 278 km · 10 °C49 °F · 983 mm39 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Cedar Rapids?
July is the warmest month in Cedar Rapids. Its average high is 29 °C (84 °F) and its average low is 18 °C (65 °F).
What is the coldest month in Cedar Rapids?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is -2 °C (28 °F) and its average low is -11 °C (12 °F).
When does it rain the most in Cedar Rapids?
June is the wettest month with about 141 mm (5.5 in) of precipitation. January is the driest with about 28 mm (1.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Cedar Rapids?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and August and September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.