A boat in Iowa is laid up for about 5 months a year at Des Moines, and the median first 32°F night arrives October 11 at Dubuque (NOAA 1991-2020). 17 boat storage facilities are listed in Iowa, 16 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Des Moines high / low | boat | Dubuque snow | Dubuque high / low | boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31° / 14° | laid up | 10.7 in | 27° / 11° | laid up |
| Feb | 36° / 18° | laid up | 10.6 in | 31° / 15° | laid up |
| Mar | 49° / 30° | laid up | 5.7 in | 44° / 26° | laid up |
| Apr | 62° / 41° | launch or haul-out | 1.9 in | 58° / 37° | launch or haul-out |
| May | 72° / 52° | in the water | 0.0 in | 69° / 49° | in the water |
| Jun | 82° / 62° | in the water | 0.0 in | 79° / 59° | in the water |
| Jul | 86° / 66° | in the water | 0.0 in | 82° / 62° | in the water |
| Aug | 84° / 64° | in the water | 0.0 in | 80° / 60° | in the water |
| Sep | 77° / 55° | in the water | 0.0 in | 73° / 52° | in the water |
| Oct | 63° / 43° | launch or haul-out | 0.5 in | 60° / 40° | launch or haul-out |
| Nov | 48° / 30° | laid up | 2.8 in | 45° / 28° | laid up |
| Dec | 36° / 20° | laid up | 10.3 in | 32° / 17° | laid up |
Boat column rule: in the water at a 65°F high and 45°F low or warmer; launch or haul-out from a 52°F high; laid up below.
By that rule a boat at Des Moines has 5 months in the water (May to September), 2 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up. By that rule a boat at Dubuque has 5 months in the water (May to September), 2 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up.
Iowa is hard-freeze country: Dubuque logs about 144.1 nights at or below 32°F and 61.4 days that never thaw, enough to freeze any water left in the engine block, raw-water passages, outdrive and plumbing.
17 live listings in 6 cities; by listed type: 16 indoor, 15 covered and 17 outdoor (types overlap). No Iowa boat storage listing publishes a rate on StowHelp.
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| That's STORbiz! | Cedar Rapids | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Farner Storage | Ames | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Steenhoek Outside Storage | Cedar Rapids | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| East Lincoln Way Storage | Ames | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Signature Self Storage - Des Moines | Des Moines | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| General Storage | Carter Lake | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Birdland Marina | Des Moines | outdoor | ||
| LockBox Storage - Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski |
| City | Boat Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Ames | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Cedar Rapids | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Council Bluffs | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Carlisle | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Carter Lake | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is October 20 at Des Moines and October 11 at Dubuque; winterize by September 27, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our boat rule Des Moines stays in the water through September and Dubuque through September, then 2 months of launch or haul-out follow at Des Moines. 16 Iowa listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
5 at Des Moines (October to April) and 5 at Dubuque (October to April), plus 2 and 2 months of launch or haul-out. Those laid up months hold 40.1 of the 42.5 inches of snow Dubuque averages a year (94%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Des Moines a boat is in the water from May to September (5 months), against 5 at Dubuque.
Of 17 live Iowa listings, 16 list indoor space and 0 climate-controlled units, against 17 outdoor and 15 covered. By city: Des Moines (5 listed, 4 indoor), Ames (4 listed, 4 indoor), Cedar Rapids (4 listed, 4 indoor) and Council Bluffs (2 listed, 2 indoor). Most indoor listings: Des Moines (4), Ames (4) and Cedar Rapids (4). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 6 cities in all.
At Dubuque, 5 months average a low at or below 32°F, all of them laid up months by our boat rule. Dubuque logs 144.1 nights at or below 32°F and 16.1 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 11.1°F and is laid up for a boat.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is April 18 at Des Moines and April 28 at Dubuque; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around April 8 and April 17. Our rule makes May the first month in the water at Des Moines and May at Dubuque. That month Des Moines averages a 52.3°F low and a 72.4°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
Iowa boat storage listings span 6 cities, led by Des Moines (5 listed), Ames (4 listed), Cedar Rapids (4 listed), Council Bluffs (2 listed) and Carlisle (1 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Des Moines (5 outdoor) and Ames (4 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 17 list outdoor, 15 covered and 16 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before October 11.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00014933, USW00094908); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).