Ice Dam Prevention in Iowa
In Iowa, local ice dams deadlines run from Oct 16 to Oct 16, with a median around Oct 16 — a spread of weeks that a single statewide date would miss. Find your city below; each links to local freeze odds, a live 10-day outlook, and a checklist.
Notable cities
- Des Moines — earliest deadline in the state
- Cedar Falls — latest deadline in the state
- Council Bluffs — near the state median
All Iowa cities
| City | Local deadline | Median first 28°F | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | Oct 16 | Oct 30 | View → | Checklist |
| Cedar Rapids | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | View → | Checklist |
| Davenport | Oct 16 | Oct 31 | View → | Checklist |
| Sioux City | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | View → | Checklist |
| Iowa City | Oct 16 | Oct 28 | View → | Checklist |
| Waterloo | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | View → | Checklist |
| Council Bluffs | Oct 16 | Oct 30 | View → | Checklist |
| Ames | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | View → | Checklist |
| West Des Moines | Oct 16 | Oct 30 | View → | Checklist |
| Dubuque | Oct 16 | Nov 1 | View → | Checklist |
| Ankeny | Oct 16 | Oct 25 | View → | Checklist |
| Urbandale | Oct 16 | Oct 30 | View → | Checklist |
| Cedar Falls | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | View → | Checklist |
Back to the national Ice Dam Prevention guide, or see the methodology.
Data: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals; live outlook by Open-Meteo. Last updated: July 11, 2026.