Carter Lake, Iowa Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 78 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Carter Lake weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Rain88%0.23″79°68°—
- FridayJun 5Thunderstorm35%—84°68°+5°
- SaturdayJun 6Thunderstorm48%0.06″84°68°0°
- SundayJun 7Heavy Drizzle69%—80°70°-4°
- MondayJun 8Thunderstorm45%—87°65°+7°
- TuesdayJun 9Thunderstorm21%—93°75°+6°
- WednesdayJun 10Partly Cloudy18%—95°76°+2°
Ozone at AQI 38 now. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 6 by mid-afternoon.
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 38 now. With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 6 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 38
- UV peak
- 0.2 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- partly cloudy
- Projected peak
- AQI 6
PM × Wind × Precip
PM scrubbed by 3 hours of recent rain — PM2.5 down to 6.5 µg/m³, PM10 to 6.9 µg/m³.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.94
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 3h 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).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 5:28 AM
- Moonset
- 3:28 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Carter Lake at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 4°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 24 (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 5, 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 — Carter Lake
SPC has placed Carter Lake 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
Carter Lake's warmest month is July (~78°F mean) and its coldest is January (~24°F). Rainfall peaks in May (4.7 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.8 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 0.8″ | 2 |
| February | 29° | 0.9″ | 3 |
| March | 41° | 1.8″ | 4 |
| April | 53° | 3.2″ | 6 |
| May | 64° | 4.7″ | 8 |
| June | 74° | 4.4″ | 7 |
| July | 78° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| August | 76° | 4.6″ | 6 |
| September | 68° | 3.0″ | 5 |
| October | 54° | 2.3″ | 4 |
| November | 40° | 1.4″ | 3 |
| December | 29° | 1.2″ | 3 |
Regional context
Carter Lake sits within a warm-summer humid continental climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Des Moines, IA, Davenport, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Iowa City, IA, Waterloo, IA.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Carter Lake?
- Carter Lake's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Carter Lake?
- May is the wettest month with about 4.7 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 32 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Carter Lake?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 78°F.
- What is the coldest month in Carter Lake?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 24°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Carter Lake?
- 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 Carter Lake get?
- Carter Lake averages about 57 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Carter Lake?
- Carter Lake'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
Carter Lake, Iowa sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 24°F while July averages 78°F — a 54°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Carter Lake receives about 32 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 57 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (41.3°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.