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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Ames Iowa, United States

In Ames, the summers are long, warm, humid, and wet; the winters are freezing, snowy, and windy; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 14°F to 84°F and is rarely below -5°F or above 93°F.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Ames for warm-weather activities is from early June to early September.

Climate in Ames

freezingvery coldcoldcoolwarmcoolcoldJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow70%70%44%44%clearovercastprecipitation: 4.6 inprecipitation: 4.6 in0.6 in0.6 inmuggy: 53%muggy: 53%0%0%drydrytourism score: 6.6tourism score: 6.60.00.0
Ames weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 4.0 months, from May 20 to September 20, with an average daily high temperature above 73°F. The hottest month of the year in Ames is July, with an average high of 84°F and low of 65°F.

The cold season lasts for 3.0 months, from November 28 to February 29, with an average daily high temperature below 41°F. The coldest month of the year in Ames is January, with an average low of 14°F and high of 30°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Ames

Average High and Low Temperature in AmeswarmcoldcoldJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec-10°F-10°F0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FJan 2230°FJan 2230°FJul 484°FJul 484°F14°F14°F65°F65°FMay 2073°FMay 2073°FSep 2073°FSep 2073°FNov 2841°FNov 2841°FFeb 2941°FFeb 2941°F53°F53°F52°F52°F25°F25°F23°F23°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 30°F35°F48°F62°F72°F81°F84°F82°F75°F62°F47°F33°F
Temp. 21°F25°F37°F50°F61°F71°F74°F72°F64°F51°F38°F25°F
Low 14°F19°F30°F41°F52°F62°F65°F62°F54°F42°F30°F18°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in Ames

Average Hourly Temperature in AmesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowfreezingfreezingcoldcoldcoolcoolcomfortablewarmvery coldvery cold
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Yinchuan, China (6,743 miles away) and Koksan, North Korea (6,313 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to Ames (view comparison).

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In Ames, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in Ames begins around June 7 and lasts for 4.5 months, ending around October 24.

The clearest month of the year in Ames is July, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 69% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around October 24 and lasts for 7.4 months, ending around June 7.

The cloudiest month of the year in Ames is January, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 54% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Ames

Cloud Cover Categories in AmesclearercloudiercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Jul 2770%Jul 2770%Dec 2744%Dec 2744%Jun 757%Jun 757%Oct 2457%Oct 2457%NowNowclearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 54%54%52%49%47%39%31%31%32%40%49%54%
Clearer 46%46%48%51%53%61%69%69%68%60%51%46%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Ames varies significantly throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 5.7 months, from April 4 to September 27, with a greater than 26% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Ames is June, with an average of 12.7 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 6.3 months, from September 27 to April 4. The month with the fewest wet days in Ames is January, with an average of 3.0 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation in Ames changes throughout the year.

Rain alone is the most common for 9.7 months, from February 20 to December 11. The month with the most days of rain alone in Ames is June, with an average of 12.7 days.

Snow alone is the most common for 2.3 months, from December 11 to February 20. The month with the most days of snow alone in Ames is January, with an average of 1.9 days.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Ames

Daily Chance of Precipitation in AmessnowrainJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jun 2543%Jun 2543%Jan 129%Jan 129%Feb 2012%Feb 2012%Dec 1114%Dec 1114%Apr 426%Apr 426%Sep 2726%Sep 2726%NowNowrainsnow
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 0.6d1.2d4.3d8.6d11.4d12.7d11.6d10.2d8.5d6.6d3.7d1.5d
Mixed 0.5d0.7d0.6d0.3d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d0.6d0.9d
Snow 1.9d1.5d0.7d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.7d1.6d
Any 3.0d3.4d5.6d9.1d11.4d12.7d11.6d10.2d8.5d6.8d5.0d3.9d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Ames experiences extreme seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

The rainy period of the year lasts for 10 months, from February 19 to December 20, with a sliding 31-day rainfall of at least 0.5 inches. The month with the most rain in Ames is June, with an average rainfall of 4.6 inches.

The rainless period of the year lasts for 2.0 months, from December 20 to February 19. The month with the least rain in Ames is January, with an average rainfall of 0.2 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Ames

Average Monthly Rainfall in AmesrainJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in2 in2 in4 in4 in6 in6 in8 in8 in10 in10 inJun 154.6 inJun 154.6 inJan 230.2 inJan 230.2 inDec 200.5 inDec 200.5 in
The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 0.2″0.4″1.3″2.9″3.8″4.6″4.0″3.6″3.0″2.1″1.3″0.6″

Snowfall

As with rainfall, we consider the snowfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Ames experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly snowfall.

The snowy period of the year lasts for 4.7 months, from November 6 to March 30, with a sliding 31-day snowfall of at least 1.0 inches. The month with the most snow in Ames is December, with an average snowfall of 4.1 inches.

The snowless period of the year lasts for 7.2 months, from March 30 to November 6. The least snow falls around July 18, with an average total accumulation of 0.0 inches.

Average Monthly Snowfall in Ames

Average Monthly Snowfall in AmessnowsnowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in2 in2 in4 in4 in6 in6 in8 in8 in10 in10 inDec 164.1 inDec 164.1 inJul 180.0 inJul 180.0 inNov 61.0 inNov 61.0 inMar 301.0 inMar 301.0 in
The average snowfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average rainfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Snowfall 3.6″3.4″1.8″0.4″0.0″0.0″0.0″0.0″0.0″0.2″1.8″4.1″

The length of the day in Ames varies significantly over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 9 hours, 7 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 15 hours, 15 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Ames

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in AmesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 8 minMar 1912 hr, 8 minMar 1915 hr, 15 minJun 2015 hr, 15 minJun 2012 hr, 11 minSep 2212 hr, 11 minSep 229 hr, 7 minDec 219 hr, 7 minDec 21nightnightdayNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 9.5h10.6h12.0h13.4h14.6h15.2h14.9h13.8h12.4h11.0h9.8h9.2h

The earliest sunrise is at 5:38 AM on June 14, and the latest sunrise is 2 hours, 11 minutes later at 7:49 AM on November 2. The earliest sunset is at 4:42 PM on December 8, and the latest sunset is 4 hours, 12 minutes later at 8:54 PM on June 26.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Ames during 2024, starting in the spring on March 10, lasting 7.8 months, and ending in the fall on November 3.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in Ames

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in AmesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMJun 145:38 AMJun 145:38 AM8:54 PMJun 268:54 PMJun 26Dec 84:42 PMDec 84:42 PM7:49 AMNov 27:49 AMNov 2Mar 10DSTMar 10DSTDSTNov 3DSTNov 3daynightnightnightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunset
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight saving time are indicated by the 'DST' labels.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Ames

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in AmesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM0001010101020202030303040405050606000010101020202020303040405050602571NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in Ames

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

Ames experiences extreme seasonal variation in the perceived humidity.

The muggier period of the year lasts for 3.4 months, from June 2 to September 15, during which time the comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable at least 13% of the time. The month with the most muggy days in Ames is July, with 15.6 days that are muggy or worse.

The least muggy day of the year is February 12, when muggy conditions are essentially unheard of.

Humidity Comfort Levels in Ames

Humidity Comfort Levels in AmesmuggyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Feb 120%Feb 120%Jul 2053%Jul 2053%Jun 213%Jun 213%Sep 1513%Sep 1513%NowNowoppressiveoppressivemuggymuggydrydryhumidhumidcomfortablecomfortablemiserablemiserable
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d1.4d8.2d15.6d13.1d4.5d0.3d0.0d0.0d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Ames experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 7.9 months, from September 30 to May 27, with average wind speeds of more than 10.5 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Ames is April, with an average hourly wind speed of 12.8 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 4.1 months, from May 27 to September 30. The calmest month of the year in Ames is August, with an average hourly wind speed of 8.3 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Ames

Average Wind Speed in AmeswindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mph16 mph16 mph18 mph18 mph20 mph20 mphMar 3113.0 mphMar 3113.0 mphAug 28.0 mphAug 28.0 mphSep 3010.5 mphSep 3010.5 mphMay 2710.5 mphMay 2710.5 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 12.112.212.712.811.29.78.58.39.810.911.511.5

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Ames varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the south for 7.4 months, from April 22 to December 4, with a peak percentage of 44% on September 4. The wind is most often from the west for 1.6 weeks, from December 4 to December 15, with a peak percentage of 31% on December 12. The wind is most often from the north for 4.2 months, from December 15 to April 22, with a peak percentage of 33% on January 1.

Wind Direction in Ames

Wind Direction in AmesNSNJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowwestsouthnortheast
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Ames throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Ames for general outdoor tourist activities is from early June to early September, with a peak score in the first week of August.

Tourism Score in Ames

Tourism Score in Amesbest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810106.66.60.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Ames for hot-weather activities is from late June to mid August, with a peak score in the third week of July.

Beach/Pool Score in Ames

Beach/Pool Score in Amesbest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810105.45.40.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationbeach/pool score
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

The growing season in Ames typically lasts for 5.7 months (174 days), from around April 18 to around October 9, rarely starting before March 31 or after May 6, and rarely ending before September 21 or after October 28.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Ames

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Amesgrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Apr 1850%Apr 1850%Oct 950%Oct 950%May 690%May 690%Sep 2190%Sep 2190%Mar 3110%Mar 3110%Oct 2810%Oct 2810%0%Feb 40%Feb 4Jul 14100%Jul 14100%NowNowfrigidfreezingvery coldcoolcomfortablewarmhotcold
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms in Ames should appear around April 10, only rarely appearing before March 28 or after April 27.

Growing Degree Days in Ames

Growing Degree Days in AmesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F500°F500°F1,000°F1,000°F1,500°F1,500°F2,000°F2,000°F2,500°F2,500°F3,000°F3,000°F3,500°F3,500°FApr 1089°FApr 1089°FJun 17900°FJun 17900°FJul 251,800°FJul 251,800°FDec 313,233°FDec 313,233°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 3.6 months, from May 2 to August 22, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 6.0 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Ames is July, with an average of 6.9 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 3.4 months, from October 31 to February 10, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 2.8 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Ames is December, with an average of 1.8 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Ames

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in AmesbrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWhJul 37.0 kWhJul 37.0 kWhDec 201.8 kWhDec 201.8 kWhMay 26.0 kWhMay 26.0 kWhAug 226.0 kWhAug 226.0 kWhOct 312.8 kWhOct 312.8 kWhFeb 102.8 kWhFeb 102.8 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 2.13.04.25.46.36.86.96.15.03.52.31.8

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Ames are 42.035 deg latitude, -93.620 deg longitude, and 942 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Ames contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 148 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 921 feet. Within 10 miles also contains only modest variations in elevation (302 feet). Within 50 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (587 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Ames is covered by artificial surfaces (72%) and cropland (23%), within 10 miles by cropland (91%), and within 50 miles by cropland (93%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Ames, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There are 4 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Ames.

For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Ames according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

The estimated value at Ames is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Ames and a given station.

The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:

To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Ames and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.