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Iowa: first snow, freeze dates and white Christmas odds
Snow and freeze history for 9 NOAA weather stations in Iowa, computed from 1995–2024 daily records. The earliest typical first snow among them is Mason City (median Nov 10). The best white Christmas odds are at Mason City (54%).
| City | First measurable snow (median) | First 1"+ snow (median) | White Christmas chance | Avg snowfall / season | First fall freeze (median) | Last spring freeze (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington (Iowa) | – | – | – | – | Oct 18 | Apr 16 |
| Cedar Rapids | – | – | – | – | Oct 10 | Apr 26 |
| Des Moines | Nov 18 | Nov 28 | 43% | 37.5" | Oct 18 | Apr 17 |
| Dubuque | Nov 13 | Nov 25 | 44% | 41.7" | Oct 11 | Apr 29 |
| Iowa City | – | – | – | – | Oct 16 | Apr 25 |
| Mason City | Nov 10 | Nov 30 | 54% | 42.1" | Sep 30 | May 3 |
| Ottumwa | – | – | – | – | Oct 12 | Apr 23 |
| Sioux City | Nov 11 | Nov 26 | 37% | 33.8" | Oct 4 | Apr 28 |
| Waterloo | Nov 14 | Nov 26 | 50% | 37.9" | Oct 6 | May 3 |
Planning for winter? Heat pump vs gas furnace, propane and oil: heating cost in Iowa (on our sister site PlugVsPump, from EIA prices).