Clarinda, Iowa Weather
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Clarinda weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Heavy Rain50%0.48″81°64°—
- FridayJun 5Thunderstorm79%4.4″84°65°+3°
- SaturdayJun 6Thunderstorm79%—86°66°+2°
- SundayJun 7Light Showers67%0.04″82°68°-4°
- MondayJun 8Heavy Drizzle52%0.01″80°68°-2°
- TuesdayJun 9Thunderstorm18%—91°71°+11°
- WednesdayJun 10Thunderstorm11%—93°74°+2°
Ozone at AQI 34. AQI down 13 over the last 6 hours (steady decline since this morning). Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion during the projected peak around 7 AM.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 34. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 34
- UV peak
- 3.3 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 8
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 4:52 AM
- Moonset
- 2:20 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias
Clarinda at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 5°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 20 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Clarinda
SPC has placed Clarinda in the Slight Risk category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- TOMORROWMRGLMarginal Risk
- DAY 3SLGTSlight Risk
Scattered severe storms possible. A few tornadoes, hail, and damaging wind gusts possible.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Clarinda's warmest month is July (~75°F mean) and its coldest is January (~22°F). Rainfall peaks in May (5.6 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.8 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 0.8″ | 3 |
| February | 27° | 1.2″ | 3 |
| March | 39° | 2.2″ | 5 |
| April | 50° | 3.3″ | 7 |
| May | 62° | 5.6″ | 9 |
| June | 72° | 5.3″ | 8 |
| July | 75° | 4.8″ | 7 |
| August | 73° | 4.0″ | 6 |
| September | 65° | 3.3″ | 5 |
| October | 53° | 2.9″ | 5 |
| November | 39° | 2.0″ | 4 |
| December | 28° | 1.4″ | 3 |
Regional context
Clarinda's baseline climate, derived from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals at the nearest reporting station, swings from a January mean of 22°F to a July mean of 75°F — a 53°F seasonal arc typical of the mid-latitude bands. Annual precipitation runs about 36.7 inches spread across roughly 64 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: May averages 5.6 inches across 8.7 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while January drops to just 0.8 inches across 2.6 rainy days under drier cool-season air. That summer-storm-driven distribution puts Clarinda in a cohort with places like Shambaugh, IA, Yorktown, IA and New Market, IA, all of which depend on warm-season convective activity for the bulk of their annual moisture.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around mid-April, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Warm-soil crops — tomatoes, peppers, eggplant — wait until soil temperatures reach the mid-50s°F, usually two weeks past the last-frost date. The window closes around mid-November, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. The dates above are 1991-2020 normals; in a given year either bookend can move 1-2 weeks either direction. Within Clarinda, low-lying parcels along drainage features typically lose 4-7°F of overnight low temperature versus the bench positions on calm clear nights, which shifts the working last-frost date by a week or more.
Similar climates: Shambaugh, IA, Yorktown, IA, New Market, IA, College Springs, IA, Braddyville, IA.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Clarinda?
- Clarinda's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Clarinda?
- May is the wettest month with about 5.6 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 37 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Clarinda?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 75°F.
- What is the coldest month in Clarinda?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 22°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Clarinda?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Clarinda get?
- Clarinda averages about 64 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Clarinda?
- Clarinda's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Clarinda, Iowa sits in a humid subtropical climate zone. January means hover near 22°F while July averages 75°F — a 53°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Clarinda receives about 37 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 64 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (40.7°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.