Fort Dodge weather in August

In August, Fort Dodge sees average daytime highs of 80°F and overnight lows near 62°F, with 4.2 in of rain across 9.6 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 80°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in August, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 18 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Fort Dodge's 2nd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Fort Dodge's year-round climate.

Daytime high
80°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
62°
11th coldest
Rainfall
4.2 in
9.6 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
5:29 AM – 7:13 PM
Cloud cover
48%
2nd clearest
Wind
8 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.8
out of 10

Fort Dodge is city and the county seat of, Webster County, Iowa, United States.

Density
584/km²
people per km²
Founded
1869

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 80°F through the month.

A typical August day in Fort Dodge reaches about 80°F in the afternoon and slips back to 62°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 72°F and 88°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°F cooler than July and about 6°F warmer than September.

50°60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18264
28263
38163
48163
58163
68163
78163
88163
98162
108062
118062
128062
138062
148062
158062
168062
178062
188062
198062
208062
218061
228061
238061
248061
258061
268061
278061
288060
298060
307960
317960

How August really feels in Fort Dodge

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Fort Dodge weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 11°1.15.75.39.20.0
Feb32° / 15°1.36.1510.30.0
Mar46° / 27°2.48.23.411.61.3
Apr59° / 39°4.411.31.513.14.4
May70° / 51°5.413.30.114.46.0
Jun79° / 61°5.512.6015.16.2
Jul82° / 65°3.710.1014.86.2
Aug80° / 62°4.29.6013.76.8
Sep74° / 53°3.48.3012.37.2
Oct61° / 41°2.67.80.510.85.4
Nov46° / 28°1.96.32.69.61.3
Dec32° / 17°1.564.78.90.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16238
26238
36238
46337
56238
66238
76238
86139
96139
106139
116040
126040
136040
146139
156139
166139
176139
186238
196238
206238
216337
226337
236337
246436
256535
266535
276634
286733
296733
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Fort Dodge gets around 4.2 in of rain over 9.6 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 31% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
330
430
531
631
732
832
933
1033
1133
1234
1334
1434
1533
1633
1733
1833
1932
2032
2132
2231
2331
2430
2529
2629
2728
2828
2927
3027
3126

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the humid band about 28% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 37% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
18213124142
28213124142
38213124142
48213124142
59213124132
69213124132
710213025132
810213025122
911213025121
1011212925121
1111212926121
1212212926111
1312222826111
1412222826111
1512222827111
1613222827101
1713222728101
1813222728100
191322272990
201322272990
211322272990
221322272980
231422262980
241423262980
251523262980
261623262870
271723252870
281823252770
292023252660
302124242560
312324242450

Wind in August

Winds average 8 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 72 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:12 AM to 5:45 AM, and sunset from 7:33 PM to 6:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.35:127:33
214.35:147:32
314.35:157:31
414.25:167:29
514.25:177:28
614.25:187:27
714.15:197:26
814.15:207:24
914.05:217:23
1014.05:227:22
1114.05:237:20
1213.95:247:19
1313.95:257:17
1413.85:267:16
1513.85:277:15
1613.75:297:13
1713.75:307:12
1813.75:317:10
1913.65:327:08
2013.65:337:07
2113.55:347:05
2213.55:357:04
2313.45:367:02
2413.45:377:00
2513.35:386:59
2613.35:396:57
2713.25:416:55
2813.25:426:54
2913.25:436:52
3013.15:446:50
3113.15:456:48

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.65 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.74 kWh/m² to a high of 6.46 kWh/m² in July across the year — August's 5.65 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.0Intense
56.0Intense
66.0Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.3Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Fort Dodge

In seasonPeak

In August, Fort Dodge sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Fort Dodge's rainy season runs April–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is August a good time to visit Fort Dodge?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.8
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Fort Dodge for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Fort Dodge in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Fort Dodge sees daytime highs around 80°F and nights near 62°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Fort Dodge in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Fort Dodge peaks around June 19 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 19UV 9Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Fort Dodge?

Fort Dodge sits at 42.5°N, 94.2°W, 1,115 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ames, 42 mi away.

Topography around Fort Dodge

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Fort Dodge.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Fort Dodge has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 226 ft around an average of 1,099 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 272 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 617 ft.

The land around Fort Dodge is covered by trees (37%), artificial surfaces (28%) and grassland (21%) within 2 miles, cropland (77%) within 10 miles, and cropland (90%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
226 ft
10 miles
272 ft
50 miles
617 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
August weather nearby: Ames 42 mi · Ankeny 60 mi · Johnston 62 mi · Waukee 63 mi · Urbandale 65 mi · Clive 66 mi · Mason City 66 mi · West Des Moines 68 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Fort Dodge (42.4975°, -94.168°, elevation 1,115 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).