Your nature year
Waterloo, Iowathrough the year
Also for Cedar Falls, IA: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Waterloo?
Spring green-up reaches town around Apr 10, with first blooms around May 8. Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom.
Waterloo usually sees its last spring frost around Apr 27 and its first fall frost around Oct 10, a frost-free stretch of about 166 days at the nearest NOAA station, Waterloo Municipal Airport. For a day trip, Port Louisa Refuge is 108 miles off; its spring migration is April to May (local timing). For wildlife by season, the nearest is Upper Mississippi River Refuge (114 mi, from April to August (local timing)). We follow 3 places within 150 miles of Waterloo; the nearest lies 108 miles to the southeast.
Updated Sep 27. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Near Waterloo right now
- First fall frost usually around Oct 10 · last spring frost around Apr 27NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Waterloo Municipal Airport (5 mi, 50% dates)~10 days
- Spring migration · Port Louisa Refuge · 108 miLocal timing: April to May~6 months
Your guide around Waterloo
Nearby, season by season
Spring migration
- Port Louisa Refuge · 108 miLocal timing: April to May~6 months
- Upper Mississippi River Refuge · 114 miLocal timing: April and May~6 months
- Trempealeau Refuge · 115 miLocal timing: late April or early May~7 months
Wildlife by season
- Upper Mississippi River Refuge · 114 miLocal timing: from April to August~6 months
Waterloo's nature year
- Wildlife by season · Upper Mississippi River RefugeApr–Aug
- Spring migration · Port Louisa RefugeApr–May
- Apr: Spring green-upApr
- Apr: Last spring frostApr
- Oct: First fall frostOct
Waterloo's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 27 to ~Oct 10
- First leaf ~Apr 10
- First bloom ~May 8
- Today
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 27
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 10
About 166 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 10
First bloom around May 8
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Waterloo Municipal Airport (5 mi from Waterloo), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Snow in Waterloo
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 20 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Waterloo Municipal Airport (5 mi away): 39 inches of snow in an average year, about 12.1 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Waterloo?
On average around Oct 10, and the last spring frost around Apr 27: about 166 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Waterloo Municipal Airport, 5 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Waterloo?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 10 and first bloom around May 8, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see spring migration near Waterloo?
Port Louisa Refuge, 108 miles (local timing: April to May); Upper Mississippi River Refuge, 114 miles (local timing: April and May); Trempealeau Refuge, 115 miles (local timing: late April or early May). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildlife by season near Waterloo?
Upper Mississippi River Refuge, 114 miles (local timing: from April to August). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Waterloo?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 20: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Waterloo Municipal Airport. An average year brings 39 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27)