Des Moines, Iowa Climate
United States
Pop. 214,133 Elev. 264 m / 866 ft
TZ: America/Chicago (UTC-5) ·
Des Moines is largely arid, with warm summers peaking at 86°F (30°C) in July and cold winters around 14°F (-10°C) in January. Humidity pushes the summer feels-like temperature to 99°F (37°C), while wind chill can drive winter lows to 5°F (-15°C). Precipitation occurs on roughly 45 days per year (35.0 in / 888 mm total), with snow on 4 days and 29 in (739 mm) of annual accumulation. The city averages 142 sunny days per year and around 33 thunderstorm days. Nearby lake water reaches 80°F (27°C) in summer.
| Temperature | 86°F (30°C) high | 14°F (-10°C) low |
| Feels like | 99°F (37°C) high | 5°F (-15°C) low |
| Rain | 45 days | 35.0 in (888 mm) /yr |
| Snow | 4 days | 29.1 in (739 mm) /yr |
| Sky | 142 sunny | 33 stormy |
| Wind | 2.6 mph (1.2 m/s) avg |
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Explore on the MapMonthly Climate Chart
Best months to visit: Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep, Oct
Sky & Air by Month
Cloud cover (%)
44
Jan 57
Feb 48
Mar 63
Apr 51
May 49
Jun 58
Jul 47
Aug 46
Sep 47
Oct 52
Nov 67
Dec Humidity (%)
60
Jan 65
Feb 57
Mar 58
Apr 56
May 66
Jun 78
Jul 74
Aug 65
Sep 63
Oct 68
Nov 76
Dec Weather Days by Month
Water Temperatures
Cities with Similar Climate
Find similar cities on the map →Nearby Cities
Nearby
Commercial airport 5 mi Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
Ski resort 4 mi
National park 137 mi Indian Cave State Park
Hospital 0 mi Iowa Lutheran Hospital
Hiking trail 4 mi Gay Lea Wilson Trail West
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Monthly Weather Data
↑ See chart| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Rainfall | Snowfall | Sunny Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F 0°C | 14°F -10°C | 0.3 in 7 mm | 2.0 in50 mm | 14 |
| February | 34°F 1°C | 16°F -9°C | 0.0 in 1 mm | 5.0 in126 mm | 11 |
| March | 61°F 16°C | 35°F 2°C | 3.0 in 76 mm | 4.7 in118 mm | 14 |
| April | 65°F 18°C | 44°F 7°C | 3.8 in 96 mm | — | 6 |
| May | 73°F 23°C | 52°F 11°C | 4.0 in 102 mm | — | 12 |
| June | 85°F 29°C | 66°F 19°C | 5.8 in 148 mm | — | 14 |
| July | 86°F 30°C | 69°F 21°C | 9.9 in 252 mm | — | 10 |
| August | 82°F 28°C | 64°F 18°C | 2.0 in 51 mm | — | 14 |
| September | 81°F 27°C | 59°F 15°C | 1.7 in 44 mm | — | 14 |
| October | 70°F 21°C | 51°F 10°C | 3.2 in 81 mm | — | 14 |
| November | 52°F 11°C | 34°F 1°C | 0.7 in 18 mm | 10.3 in260 mm | 11 |
| December | 36°F 2°C | 19°F -7°C | 0.5 in 12 mm | 7.2 in184 mm | 8 |
Weather Days by Month
↑ See chart| Month | Sunny Days | Storm Days |
|---|---|---|
| January | 14 | 0 |
| February | 11 | 0 |
| March | 14 | 3 |
| April | 6 | 3 |
| May | 12 | 3 |
| June | 14 | 7 |
| July | 10 | 9 |
| August | 14 | 1 |
| September | 14 | 3 |
| October | 14 | 4 |
| November | 11 | 0 |
| December | 8 | 0 |
Water Temperatures Data
↑ See chart| Month | Lake Avg High |
|---|---|
| January | 32°F 0°C |
| February | 32°F 0°C |
| March | 41°F 5°C |
| April | 53°F 12°C |
| May | 62°F 17°C |
| June | 74°F 23°C |
| July | 80°F 27°C |
| August | 76°F 24°C |
| September | 70°F 21°C |
| October | 59°F 15°C |
| November | 43°F 6°C |
| December | 32°F 0°C |