Essex weather by month
What a typical year looks like in Essex, Iowa: average highs and lows, rain and snow, and the warmest and coldest days on record. Normals are the 1991–2020 averages at Red Oak, 20 km from Essex; records cover 1897–2026.
The year at a glance
- Precipitation a year
- 37.2 in946 mm
- Snow a year
- 27 in70 cm
- Last spring freeze
- Apr 21
- First fall freeze
- Oct 9
- Heating degree days
- 6,205
- Cooling degree days
- 1,057
Freeze dates are medians (half of years earlier, half later). Degree days use a 65°F base; HVAC design temperatures here are −7°−22° (heating, 99%) and 95°35° (cooling, 1%).
Month by month
Essex in January
Highs average 33°0° and lows 13°−11°, with 0.88 in22 mm of precipitation and 7 in19 cm of snow in a typical January.
- Record high
- 69°21° (1989)
- Record low
- −27°−33° (1974)
- Heating degree days
- 1313
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Essex in February
Highs average 38°3° and lows 16°−9°, with 1.1 in28 mm of precipitation and 8 in21 cm of snow in a typical February.
- Record high
- 80°27° (2024)
- Record low
- −28°−33° (1996)
- Heating degree days
- 1061
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Essex in March
Highs average 51°11° and lows 28°−2°, with 2 in52 mm of precipitation and 2.6 in6.6 cm of snow in a typical March.
- Record high
- 93°34° (2026)
- Record low
- −22°−30° (1948)
- Heating degree days
- 798
- Cooling degree days
- 2
Essex in April
Highs average 63°17° and lows 38°3°, with 3.8 in97 mm of precipitation and 1.2 in3 cm of snow in a typical April.
- Record high
- 94°34° (1987)
- Record low
- 2°−17° (1975)
- Heating degree days
- 436
- Cooling degree days
- 9
Essex in May
Highs average 73°23° and lows 51°10°, with 6 in151 mm of precipitation in a typical May.
- Record high
- 101°38° (2018)
- Record low
- 26°−3° (1976)
- Heating degree days
- 161
- Cooling degree days
- 71
Essex in June
Highs average 83°28° and lows 61°16°, with 5.4 in138 mm of precipitation in a typical June.
- Record high
- 104°40° (1946)
- Record low
- 34°1° (1946)
- Heating degree days
- 16
- Cooling degree days
- 228
Essex in July
Highs average 86°30° and lows 66°19°, with 4 in101 mm of precipitation in a typical July.
- Record high
- 109°43° (1974)
- Record low
- 39°4° (1971)
- Heating degree days
- 2
- Cooling degree days
- 340
Essex in August
Highs average 85°29° and lows 63°17°, with 3.9 in99 mm of precipitation in a typical August.
- Record high
- 106°41° (1988)
- Record low
- 34°1° (1986)
- Heating degree days
- 6
- Cooling degree days
- 275
Essex in September
Highs average 78°26° and lows 53°12°, with 3.6 in91 mm of precipitation in a typical September.
- Record high
- 103°39° (1939)
- Record low
- 23°−5° (1939)
- Heating degree days
- 92
- Cooling degree days
- 116
Essex in OctoberThis month
Highs average 66°19° and lows 41°5°, with 3.3 in84 mm of precipitation and 0.5 in1.3 cm of snow in a typical October.
- Record high
- 95°35° (2024)
- Record low
- 13°−11° (1942)
- Heating degree days
- 383
- Cooling degree days
- 16
Essex in November
Highs average 50°10° and lows 28°−2°, with 1.9 in48 mm of precipitation and 1.2 in3 cm of snow in a typical November.
- Record high
- 82°28° (1999)
- Record low
- −14°−26° (1964)
- Heating degree days
- 779
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Essex in December
Highs average 37°3° and lows 18°−8°, with 1.4 in35 mm of precipitation and 7 in17 cm of snow in a typical December.
- Record high
- 73°23° (2021)
- Record low
- −26°−32° (1989)
- Heating degree days
- 1158
- Cooling degree days
- 0