Hartford, Iowa Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Hartford weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Rain65%0.35″83°62°—
- FridayJun 5Thunderstorm68%0.09″81°68°-2°
- SaturdayJun 6Light Showers49%—85°67°+4°
- SundayJun 7Showers65%0.06″79°68°-6°
- MondayJun 8Thunderstorm57%—86°66°+7°
- TuesdayJun 9Thunderstorm38%0.02″85°71°-1°
- WednesdayJun 10Thunderstorm16%—90°74°+5°
Ozone at AQI 51 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. AQI up 11 over the last 6 hours (gradual rise). Levels should ease through evening.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 51 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 51
- UV peak
- 3.4 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- partly cloudy
- Projected peak
- AQI 51
PM × Wind × Precip
PM scrubbed by 2 hours of recent rain — PM2.5 down to 7.2 µg/m³, PM10 to 8.0 µg/m³.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.90
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 2h in last 6h
- Pattern
- washed out
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
- 4:48 AM
- Moonset
- 2:11 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Hartford at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 9°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 25 (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 — Hartford
SPC has placed Hartford in the Slight Risk category for severe thunderstorms tomorrow.
- TODAYMRGLMarginal Risk
- TOMORROWSLGTSlight Risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
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
Hartford's warmest month is July (~76°F mean) and its coldest is January (~22°F). Rainfall peaks in June (5.3 inches) and bottoms out in January (1.1 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 1.1″ | 3 |
| February | 27° | 1.3″ | 4 |
| March | 39° | 2.2″ | 5 |
| April | 51° | 4.0″ | 8 |
| May | 62° | 5.2″ | 9 |
| June | 72° | 5.3″ | 7 |
| July | 76° | 3.8″ | 6 |
| August | 74° | 4.2″ | 6 |
| September | 66° | 3.2″ | 5 |
| October | 53° | 2.8″ | 5 |
| November | 39° | 1.9″ | 4 |
| December | 28° | 1.6″ | 4 |
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Hartford?
- Hartford's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Hartford?
- June is the wettest month with about 5.3 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 37 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Hartford?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 76°F.
- What is the coldest month in Hartford?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 22°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Hartford?
- 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 Hartford get?
- Hartford averages about 66 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Hartford?
- Hartford'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
Hartford, Iowa sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 22°F while July averages 76°F — a 54°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Hartford receives about 37 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 66 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (41.5°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.