Same-Day Service7 Days a WeekFree Estimate
Plumbers of Iowa
Plumbers of Iowa
Plumbing · Guides
Call
Guide · 4 min read

When Do Pipes Freeze in Iowa? Freeze Dates for Every Town

Typical first frost, freeze nights and sub-zero nights for every Iowa town we cover, from ten years of Daymet climate data.

Tap to Call(855) 321-3426

A real person answers. Free estimate, no obligation.

Pipes do not freeze on a calendar date. They freeze on the first night the air in an unheated crawlspace, garage or exterior wall stays below about 20°F for a few hours, and in Iowa that night arrives at a different time in every town. The table below gives the typical first frost, the freeze nights and the sub-zero days for every Iowa town we cover, all 486 of them, from ten years of Daymet climate data.

Iowa at a glance

Oct 11
Earliest typical first frost: Alton
Oct 30
Latest typical first frost: Montrose
162 nights
Most freeze nights a year: Cresco
112 nights
Fewest freeze nights a year: Fort Madison

What the numbers mean for your pipes

Freeze nights count every night the low drops below 32°F. Most of them hurt nothing. The ones that do are the first hard freeze of the season, when a hose is still connected and the crawlspace vents are still open, and the deep cold snap in January when a line along an exterior wall finally loses its margin. Sub-zero days are the second number to watch: below 0°F even an insulated line in an unheated space can freeze. The first frost date is the median of ten years, so about half the years frost earlier and half later.

When a freeze does find a pipe, call to get help from Iowa expert plumbers in 2 minutes. Before it does, how to prevent frozen pipes and the pipe freeze risk checker cover the prep.

Every Iowa town we cover

TownFreeze nights/yrSub-zero days/yrTypical first frostDays over 90°FJuly high
Ackley15319Oct 131083°F
Adair15015Oct 131083°F
Adel13812Oct 152286°F
Afton13912Oct 171685°F
Agency13211Oct 171785°F
Ainsworth13511Oct 171685°F
Akron15417Oct 122086°F
Albert City15319Oct 131183°F
Albia13611Oct 171585°F
Albion14616Oct 151384°F
Alburnett14615Oct 151183°F
Alden15319Oct 131083°F
Algona15722Oct 131083°F
Alleman13713Oct 181785°F
Allerton13410Oct 171685°F
Allison15219Oct 13983°F
Alta15618Oct 13983°F
Alton15418Oct 111585°F
Altoona13312Oct 191885°F
Ames14415Oct 151584°F
Anamosa14313Oct 161083°F
Anita14814Oct 151584°F
Ankeny13512Oct 181885°F
Anthon15416Oct 121985°F
Aplington15118Oct 131083°F
Arcadia15117Oct 131183°F
Arlington15620Oct 13782°F
Armstrong15923Oct 13983°F
Arnolds Park15822Oct 11983°F
Asbury14515Oct 16682°F
Ashton15821Oct 111284°F
Atkins14515Oct 161384°F
Atlantic14513Oct 151785°F
Audubon14915Oct 151284°F
Aurelia15618Oct 111183°F
Avoca14412Oct 151985°F
Badger15319Oct 131083°F
Bancroft15823Oct 13983°F
Batavia13211Oct 171785°F
Battle Creek15316Oct 121684°F
Baxter14114Oct 161584°F
Bayard14615Oct 151685°F
Beacon13412Oct 171785°F
Bedford13510Oct 171785°F
Belle Plaine14615Oct 151484°F
Bellevue13813Oct 171184°F
Belmond15621Oct 13983°F
Bettendorf12510Oct 231484°F
Blairstown14615Oct 161384°F
Bloomfield12910Oct 171885°F
Blue Grass12910Oct 171384°F
Bondurant13412Oct 181885°F
Boone14616Oct 131484°F
Boyden15720Oct 111484°F
Breda15017Oct 131183°F
Brighton13411Oct 171785°F
Britt15822Oct 13883°F
Brooklyn14414Oct 161384°F
Buffalo12710Oct 201584°F
Buffalo Center15923Oct 13882°F
Burlington1198Oct 231685°F
Burt15823Oct 13983°F
Calmar16022Oct 13581°F
Camanche12711Oct 221284°F
Cambridge13913Oct 161785°F
Carlisle12811Oct 192186°F
Carroll15016Oct 131284°F
Carson13911Oct 172386°F
Carter Lake1349Oct 203187°F
Cascade14414Oct 16983°F
Cedar Falls14917Oct 131283°F
Cedar Rapids14113Oct 161584°F
Center Point14615Oct 131284°F
Centerville13411Oct 171685°F
Central City14515Oct 151284°F
Chariton13812Oct 171785°F
Charles City15220Oct 13782°F
Charter Oak15115Oct 131584°F
Cherokee15517Oct 111584°F
Clarence14012Oct 151184°F
Clarinda13610Oct 172286°F
Clarion15620Oct 131083°F
Clarksville15019Oct 131083°F
Clear Lake15822Oct 13882°F
Clermont14918Oct 13883°F
Clinton13111Oct 201284°F
Clive13512Oct 192186°F
Coggon14816Oct 15983°F
Colfax13612Oct 171785°F
Collins14214Oct 161484°F
Colo14715Oct 161484°F
Columbus Junction13211Oct 221685°F
Conrad15017Oct 151183°F
Coon Rapids14815Oct 151584°F
Coralville14112Oct 161584°F
Corning14112Oct 171885°F
Correctionville15316Oct 121885°F
Corydon13611Oct 171685°F
Council Bluffs1339Oct 203187°F
Crescent13710Oct 202686°F
Cresco16224Oct 11481°F
Creston14212Oct 171485°F
Cumming13512Oct 172085°F
Dakota City15420Oct 131083°F
Dallas Center14113Oct 151785°F
Danville1259Oct 171685°F
Davenport12410Oct 231584°F
Dayton15017Oct 131284°F
De Soto13813Oct 152186°F
Decorah15220Oct 13783°F
Delhi15116Oct 13682°F
Delmar13913Oct 16983°F
Denison15015Oct 151584°F
Denver15119Oct 131083°F
Des Moines13011Oct 192286°F
DeWitt13211Oct 191384°F
Dexter14313Oct 151785°F
Dike15018Oct 131183°F
Donnellson1218Oct 221885°F
Doon15619Oct 111685°F
Dow City14914Oct 151985°F
Dows15520Oct 131083°F
Dubuque14114Oct 17883°F
Dumont15219Oct 131083°F
Dunkerton15119Oct 131083°F
Dunlap14713Oct 152286°F
Durant13010Oct 191585°F
Dyersville14716Oct 16782°F
Dysart15016Oct 131083°F
Eagle Grove15519Oct 131083°F
Earlham14213Oct 151885°F
Earlville14916Oct 13682°F
Early15318Oct 131184°F
Eddyville13311Oct 171885°F
Edgewood15519Oct 13582°F
Eldon12910Oct 171985°F
Eldora15018Oct 131183°F
Eldridge12910Oct 191484°F
Elgin14918Oct 13983°F
Elk Horn14914Oct 151384°F
Elk Run Heights14917Oct 131284°F
Elkader14717Oct 13883°F
Elkhart13713Oct 181785°F
Ellsworth15118Oct 131284°F
Elma15722Oct 13581°F
Ely14013Oct 161484°F
Emerson13710Oct 172386°F
Emmetsburg15621Oct 131083°F
Epworth14816Oct 16582°F
Essex13510Oct 172486°F
Estherville15822Oct 13983°F
Evansdale14917Oct 131284°F
Everly15420Oct 121384°F
Exira14814Oct 151684°F
Fairbank15319Oct 131083°F
Fairfax14113Oct 161585°F
Fairfield13111Oct 171685°F
Farley15116Oct 13582°F
Farmington1188Oct 281985°F
Farragut1338Oct 172686°F
Fayette15520Oct 13782°F
Fonda15119Oct 131284°F
Fontanelle14513Oct 151484°F
Forest City16023Oct 13882°F
Fort Dodge15219Oct 131183°F
Fort Madison1127Oct 301885°F
Fredericksburg15521Oct 13782°F
Fremont13712Oct 171685°F
Fruitland12610Oct 271885°F
Galva15518Oct 121284°F
Garnavillo15219Oct 13582°F
Garner15722Oct 13882°F
Garwin14716Oct 151284°F
George15821Oct 111484°F
Gilbert14715Oct 151484°F
Gilbertville14917Oct 131284°F
Gilman14615Oct 161284°F
Gilmore City15320Oct 131083°F
Gladbrook14917Oct 151183°F
Glenwood1349Oct 202886°F
Glidden14916Oct 131384°F
Goldfield15520Oct 131083°F
Gowrie15017Oct 131284°F
Graettinger15722Oct 131083°F
Grand Junction14616Oct 151684°F
Grand Mound13411Oct 171484°F
Grandview13111Oct 221585°F
Granger13612Oct 192185°F
Greene15119Oct 13983°F
Greenfield14513Oct 151384°F
Grimes13712Oct 191985°F
Grinnell14516Oct 161284°F
Griswold14212Oct 162285°F
Grundy Center15117Oct 131083°F
Guthrie Center14614Oct 151685°F
Guttenberg14316Oct 17883°F
Hamburg1318Oct 172986°F
Hampton15521Oct 131083°F
Harlan14714Oct 151684°F
Hartford13011Oct 192085°F
Hartley15620Oct 111184°F
Hawarden15418Oct 111985°F
Hawkeye15721Oct 13682°F
Hazleton15419Oct 13983°F
Hedrick13512Oct 171685°F
Hiawatha14514Oct 151284°F
Hills13512Oct 171885°F
Hinton15216Oct 122086°F
Holstein15718Oct 111183°F
Hopkinton14515Oct 16983°F
Hospers15619Oct 111484°F
Hubbard15117Oct 131284°F
Hudson14917Oct 131283°F
Hull15720Oct 111484°F
Humboldt15420Oct 131083°F
Humeston13611Oct 171785°F
Huxley14014Oct 171684°F
Ida Grove15417Oct 121484°F
Independence15018Oct 131083°F
Indianola13512Oct 162086°F
Inwood15820Oct 111584°F
Iowa City13511Oct 171885°F
Iowa Falls15319Oct 131083°F
Ireton15518Oct 111685°F
Janesville15018Oct 131183°F
Jefferson14616Oct 151684°F
Jesup15118Oct 131083°F
Jewell Junction15017Oct 131284°F
Johnston13312Oct 192286°F
Kalona13812Oct 171785°F
Kanawha15721Oct 13983°F
Kellogg14214Oct 161484°F
Keokuk1136Oct 301985°F
Keosauqua1259Oct 221986°F
Keota13912Oct 161685°F
Keystone14815Oct 151284°F
Kingsley15517Oct 111685°F
Klemme15722Oct 13883°F
Knoxville13612Oct 191785°F
La Porte City14716Oct 131384°F
Lake City15017Oct 131284°F
Lake Mills15924Oct 13782°F
Lake Park15923Oct 111083°F
Lake View15017Oct 131384°F
Lakeside15419Oct 131083°F
Lamoni1299Oct 211885°F
Lamont15519Oct 13782°F
Lansing14217Oct 19683°F
Larchwood15921Oct 111484°F
Latimer15721Oct 13983°F
Laurens15320Oct 131183°F
Lawton15215Oct 122086°F
Le Claire12610Oct 231484°F
Le Grand14715Oct 151284°F
Le Mars15417Oct 121785°F
Lenox14111Oct 171484°F
Leon13210Oct 171885°F
Lime Springs16123Oct 11481°F
Lisbon14212Oct 161184°F
Little Rock16022Oct 111284°F
Logan14212Oct 152586°F
Lone Tree13612Oct 171685°F
Long Grove13111Oct 171484°F
Lost Nation13912Oct 161284°F
Lovilia13712Oct 161685°F
Lowden13712Oct 161484°F
Madrid14013Oct 161785°F
Malvern13610Oct 202586°F
Manchester14917Oct 13883°F
Manilla15015Oct 151484°F
Manly15723Oct 13682°F
Manning15116Oct 131384°F
Manson15119Oct 131183°F
Mapleton15215Oct 132085°F
Maquoketa13913Oct 171184°F
Marcus15719Oct 111284°F
Marengo14315Oct 161685°F
Marion14313Oct 151384°F
Marquette14317Oct 17783°F
Marshalltown14615Oct 151284°F
Martensdale13212Oct 162686°F
Mason City15521Oct 13782°F
Maxwell14014Oct 161685°F
Maynard15621Oct 13782°F
McGregor14717Oct 13682°F
Mechanicsville14112Oct 161084°F
Mediapolis12810Oct 171485°F
Melbourne14515Oct 161484°F
Melcher-Dallas13712Oct 161885°F
Merrill15317Oct 121985°F
Miles13913Oct 17983°F
Milford15822Oct 11983°F
Milo13612Oct 161985°F
Minden14412Oct 161885°F
Missouri Valley13811Oct 173086°F
Mitchellville13512Oct 181785°F
Monona15620Oct 13482°F
Monroe13612Oct 161685°F
Montezuma14414Oct 161384°F
Monticello14314Oct 161083°F
Montrose1137Oct 301885°F
Moravia13511Oct 171585°F
Morning Sun13010Oct 171485°F
Moulton13210Oct 171685°F
Mount Ayr13510Oct 171685°F
Mount Pleasant12911Oct 171685°F
Mount Vernon14213Oct 161284°F
Moville15416Oct 121985°F
Murray14012Oct 171685°F
Muscatine13111Oct 171485°F
Nashua15019Oct 13982°F
Neola14211Oct 162386°F
Nevada14515Oct 151484°F
New Albin13817Oct 19783°F
New Hampton15622Oct 13682°F
New Hartford14918Oct 131283°F
New London12810Oct 171685°F
New Sharon14113Oct 161485°F
New Virginia13712Oct 171985°F
Newell15219Oct 131284°F
Newhall14615Oct 151284°F
Newton14014Oct 161584°F
Nora Springs15321Oct 13782°F
North English14313Oct 161585°F
North Liberty14012Oct 161685°F
Northwood15823Oct 13681°F
Norwalk13312Oct 192186°F
Norway14514Oct 161384°F
Oakland14112Oct 162185°F
Ocheyedan16123Oct 11983°F
Odebolt15317Oct 131284°F
Oelwein15520Oct 13882°F
Ogden14716Oct 151584°F
Okoboji15922Oct 11983°F
Olin14012Oct 161384°F
Onawa14913Oct 132686°F
Orange City15619Oct 111484°F
Orleans15822Oct 11983°F
Osage15723Oct 13681°F
Osceola13812Oct 171785°F
Oskaloosa13812Oct 161685°F
Ossian15922Oct 13581°F
Otho15218Oct 131183°F
Ottumwa13011Oct 171985°F
Oxford14213Oct 161584°F
Oxford Junction13912Oct 161384°F
Palo14214Oct 161584°F
Panora14514Oct 151885°F
Parkersburg15118Oct 131083°F
Paullina15519Oct 111384°F
Pella13712Oct 161585°F
Peosta14815Oct 16582°F
Perry14314Oct 151885°F
Pleasant Hill13111Oct 192085°F
Pleasantville13412Oct 191885°F
Pocahontas15220Oct 131183°F
Polk City13612Oct 191985°F
Pomeroy15119Oct 131183°F
Postville15721Oct 13482°F
Prairie City13412Oct 181785°F
Preston13713Oct 171184°F
Primghar15621Oct 111084°F
Princeton12710Oct 221384°F
Quasqueton15017Oct 131083°F
Radcliffe15218Oct 131183°F
Raymond15018Oct 131183°F
Readlyn15320Oct 13983°F
Red Oak13811Oct 162486°F
Redfield14113Oct 152286°F
Reinbeck14917Oct 131183°F
Remsen15418Oct 111585°F
Riceville15923Oct 13581°F
Richland13512Oct 171785°F
Riverside13612Oct 171985°F
Robins14614Oct 151184°F
Rock Rapids15820Oct 111585°F
Rock Valley15519Oct 111785°F
Rockford15120Oct 13882°F
Rockwell15421Oct 13883°F
Rockwell City15018Oct 131184°F
Roland14816Oct 151384°F
Rolfe15320Oct 131183°F
Runnells13111Oct 191985°F
Russell13812Oct 171685°F
Ruthven15721Oct 13883°F
Sabula13413Oct 191284°F
Sac City15118Oct 131284°F
Sanborn15821Oct 111084°F
Schaller15518Oct 131083°F
Schleswig15416Oct 131283°F
Scranton14816Oct 151484°F
Sergeant Bluff15014Oct 122386°F
Seymour13611Oct 171585°F
Sheffield15320Oct 13883°F
Shelby14512Oct 151784°F
Sheldon15820Oct 111384°F
Shell Rock15019Oct 131083°F
Shellsburg14415Oct 151384°F
Shenandoah1359Oct 172486°F
Shueyville14213Oct 161384°F
Sibley16123Oct 111083°F
Sidney1369Oct 172486°F
Sigourney13912Oct 161685°F
Sioux Center15620Oct 111584°F
Sioux City15115Oct 122286°F
Sioux Rapids15419Oct 131184°F
Slater14014Oct 171685°F
Sloan15014Oct 132486°F
Solon13912Oct 171584°F
Spencer15420Oct 131284°F
Spirit Lake15922Oct 11883°F
Springville14313Oct 151284°F
St. Ansgar15723Oct 13581°F
St. Charles13612Oct 172186°F
Stacyville15823Oct 13581°F
Stanton13911Oct 172085°F
Stanwood14012Oct 161284°F
State Center14715Oct 161484°F
Storm Lake15419Oct 131083°F
Story City14817Oct 151384°F
Stratford15017Oct 131184°F
Strawberry Point15620Oct 13682°F
Stuart14513Oct 151684°F
Sully14214Oct 161484°F
Sumner15420Oct 13782°F
Sutherland15520Oct 111184°F
Swea City15923Oct 13983°F
Swisher14113Oct 161484°F
Tabor13810Oct 172085°F
Tama14515Oct 151384°F
Thompson16023Oct 13782°F
Tiffin13712Oct 171785°F
Tipton13811Oct 161384°F
Titonka15823Oct 13883°F
Toledo14716Oct 151284°F
Traer14916Oct 151183°F
Treynor13911Oct 192085°F
Tripoli15320Oct 13882°F
Truro13712Oct 172085°F
Underwood13811Oct 192586°F
University Heights13812Oct 171685°F
University Park13712Oct 171785°F
Urbana14816Oct 131183°F
Urbandale13612Oct 191985°F
Van Horne14915Oct 131183°F
Van Meter13812Oct 152085°F
Ventura15722Oct 13882°F
Victor14415Oct 161484°F
Villisca13811Oct 172285°F
Vinton14615Oct 151384°F
Walcott12911Oct 201484°F
Walford14314Oct 161484°F
Walker14916Oct 131183°F
Wall Lake15017Oct 131384°F
Walnut14613Oct 151684°F
Wapello12410Oct 271785°F
Washington13612Oct 171585°F
Waterloo14917Oct 131284°F
Waukee13712Oct 161985°F
Waukon15922Oct 13381°F
Waverly14919Oct 131183°F
Wayland13311Oct 171685°F
Webster City15218Oct 131183°F
Wellman14013Oct 161685°F
Wellsburg15218Oct 131183°F
West Bend15621Oct 131083°F
West Branch13511Oct 171685°F
West Burlington1228Oct 171785°F
West Des Moines13512Oct 192086°F
West Liberty13311Oct 171785°F
West Point1249Oct 221785°F
West Union15821Oct 13682°F
What Cheer13913Oct 161685°F
Wheatland13611Oct 171584°F
Whiting15014Oct 132586°F
Whittemore15722Oct 131083°F
Williamsburg14414Oct 161584°F
Wilton13110Oct 171685°F
Windsor Heights13412Oct 192085°F
Winfield13111Oct 171685°F
Winterset14013Oct 161985°F
Winthrop15318Oct 13882°F
Woodbine14513Oct 152286°F
Woodward14214Oct 151785°F
Wyoming14213Oct 161083°F
Zearing14916Oct 151384°F

Climate data: Daymet, NASA/ORNL, 2015–2024. Typical values over ten years, not a forecast.

Talk it through with a local pro

Free to call — get connected with a local pro in your area.

Tap to Call(855) 321-3426

Related guides

What Size Water Heater Do I Need?Why Is My Water Pressure Low?How to Prevent Frozen PipesHow to Choose a Plumber in Iowa
We connect homeowners with independent local plumbers. Calls may be routed to a partner network; the number shown is a connection line, not a specific business.

Disclaimer: Plumbers of Iowa is a free service to assist homeowners in connecting with local service providers. All contractors/providers are independent and Plumbers of Iowa does not warrant or guarantee any work performed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to verify that the hired contractor furnishes the necessary license and insurance required for the work being performed. All persons depicted in a photo or video are actors or models and not contractors listed on Plumbers of Iowa.

Same-day and 24/7 emergency services are subject to provider participation, location, technician availability, and demand. Availability is not guaranteed and may vary by market and appointment capacity.

We use cookies and session-based analytics, including session replays (with form inputs masked), to improve this site. See our Privacy Policy.

About · Contact · Privacy · Terms · Disclosure · Sitemap

© 2026 Plumbers of Iowa. All rights reserved.