Rathbun, Iowa Weather
Rathbun, Iowa — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, aviation weather, radar and satellite imagery, soil and crop conditions for Rathbun, Appanoose County.
Flight conditions near Rathbun. Data source: locating…
Soil conditions, frost risk and crop weather for Rathbun.
About Rathbun, Iowa
Rathbun lies as a quiet crossroads in the rolling hills of southern Iowa, where the land breathes deeply of agricultural bounty and the sky stretches wide in an unbroken expanse. It lies 29.2 miles west-south-west of Ottumwa, IA (from Ottumwa, IA: bearing 239°T), and is situated 4.7 miles north of Centerville. The terrain here is a gentle sculpting of long, sweeping valleys and higher ground that catches the sun, a landscape familiar to generations of farmers who have coaxed their livelihoods from the fertile soil. Fields of corn and soybeans, a patchwork of verdant greens and golden hues, ripple in the breeze, their rows marching with a patient order across the hillsides. The air itself often carries the faint, sweet scent of ripening grain or the damp earth after a spring shower, a subtle perfume that speaks of the region's enduring connection to the land. The story of Rathbun is interwoven with the ebb and flow of the region's natural resources and the resilience of its people. Once a hub for the coal mining industry, the shadows of that past can still be felt in the hardy spirit of its residents and the enduring structures that dot the countryside. Today, the local economy is primarily agricultural, with the cultivation of crops forming the backbone of daily life, though the nearby Rathbun Lake, a significant body of water, draws visitors for recreation and offers a different kind of economic pulse. This vast reservoir, a shimmering blue jewel in the landscape, has become a focal point, its shores a gathering place for anglers and boaters seeking respite and enjoyment. The pace of life in Rathbun moves with a deliberate, unhurried grace, reflecting the deep-rooted connection to the earth and the enduring legacy of those who have called this place home.
Live animated radar for Rathbun and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | Rathbun, Appanoose County, Iowa |
| Coordinates | 40.801123°N, 92.88881°W |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 52544 |
| Area Code | 712 |
| Page generated | July 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This Rathbun, Iowa Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for Rathbun, Iowa, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, real-time aviation weather (live METAR and TAF reports from the nearest reporting airport, with a modeled estimate shown when no station is in range), precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for Rathbun includes coordinates 40.801123°N, 92.888810°W, situated in Appanoose County. ZIP code 52544. Telephone area code: 712. Timezone: Central Time (America/Chicago).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. Aviation data is sourced from aviationweather.gov (NOAA), with a modeled estimate used where no nearby reporting station is available. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
