2017 Spencer Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Spencer, Iowa  2017  Comprehensive Plan

CLIMATE Climate patterns become a factor in land use planning when it relates to crop production and construction seasons for roads and buildings. The climate of Spencer in Clay County limits both activities to a certain part of the year. Most development, along with cultivation, planting, and harvest will occur from April to October. Spencer has a typical mid latitude climate with cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. The average high temperature in Spencer in July is 84° F with an average daily low of 62° F. The average coldest month in Spencer is January with the average low of 7° F and an average daily high of 26° F. In terms of growing periods, the last freeze occurs around May, with the first freeze taking place in late September, giving the Spencer area an average growing season of 120-150 days. Average precipitation as rainfall amounts to 29.5 inches annually, with June being the wettest month with 4.41 inches of precipitation and February typically being the driest month with 0.47 inches of precipitation. Below are climate charts showing the average climate in Spencer, Iowa based on data reported by over 4,000 weather stations. Information is obtained from www.city-data.com.

Figure 3 - Climate patterns for Spencer Area

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NW Iowa Planning & Development