Des Moines climate — normals and trends
Des Moines (United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 10.0 °C and it receives 909 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is July (24.2 °C on average) and the coldest is January (-6.3 °C). Rainfall peaks in May.
Des Moines averages 123 frost days, 37 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 105 rainy days per year.
Des Moines has warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.21 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 132 to 114 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 39.6 °C (on 25 July 2012) and the coldest -33.5 °C (on 16 January 2009).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
Des MoinesIowa
- coords
- 41.60°, -93.61°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
10.0°C
Average daily high
15.2°C
Average daily low
5.2°C
Annual rainfall
909mm
Sunshine / day
9.0h
Mean relative humidity
70%
Average peak wind
21.4km/h
Seasonal range
30.5°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
123 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
37 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
105 d/yr
Annual snowfall
64.6 cm
Average feels-like high
13.1 °C
Average feels-like low
2.1 °C
Average peak gust
39.6 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
34 d/yr
Solar radiation
15.3 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.8 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.27 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
39.6 °C
25 July 2012
Coldest day
-33.5 °C
16 January 2009
Wettest day
87 mm
9 May 1996
Windiest day
65.4 km/h
5 May 1950
Strongest gust
115.6 km/h
5 May 1950
Hottest feels-like
46.2 °C
6 July 1948
Coldest feels-like
-39.1 °C
16 January 2009
Snowiest day
29.6 cm
9 April 1973
Sunniest day
14.8 h
19 June 1940
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.1 °C | +1.6 °C | 11 mm | -21 mm |
| Feb | 0.1 °C | -0.9 °C | 12 mm | -24 mm |
| Mar | 14.8 °C | +6.8 °C | 87 mm | +15 mm |
| Apr | 17.1 °C | +1.3 °C | 95 mm | -6 mm |
| May | 22.7 °C | +0.9 °C | 100 mm | -24 mm |
| Jun | 29.0 °C | +1.9 °C | 147 mm | +30 mm |
| Jul | 29.4 °C | +0.1 °C | 251 mm | +157 mm |
| Aug | 27.4 °C | -0.9 °C | 50 mm | -42 mm |
| Sep | 26.9 °C | +2.6 °C | 43 mm | -42 mm |
| Oct | 20.6 °C | +2.8 °C | 80 mm | +13 mm |
| Nov | 10.5 °C | +1.7 °C | 44 mm | -7 mm |
| Dec | 2.5 °C | +1.2 °C | 29 mm | -9 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Des Moines?
Des Moines has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 10.0 °C and it receives 909 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Des Moines?
The hottest day measured in Des Moines between 1940 and 2025 was 25 July 2012, reaching 39.6 °C.
What is the coldest day in Des Moines?
The coldest day measured in Des Moines between 1940 and 2025 was 16 January 2009, at -33.5 °C.
Does it snow in Des Moines?
Yes. Des Moines gets on average 64.6 cm of snow per year and has around 123 frost days.
Has the climate of Des Moines warmed?
Yes: Des Moines warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Des Moines?
The wettest day measured in Des Moines between 1940 and 2025 was 9 May 1996, with 87 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Des Moines?
The windiest day measured in Des Moines between 1940 and 2025 was 5 May 1950, with winds reaching 65.4 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Des Moines?
The warmest month in Des Moines is July (24.2 °C on average); the coldest is January (-6.3 °C).
How much does it rain in Des Moines?
Des Moines receives on average 909 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 105 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Des Moines?
Des Moines gets on average 9.0 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,285 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Des Moines?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Des Moines between 1940 and 2025 was 9 April 1973, with 29.6 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Des Moines?
Yes: Des Moines has on average 34 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Des Moines?
In Des Moines, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 46.2 °C on 6 July 1948, and the lowest was -39.1 °C on 16 January 2009.
Compare Des Moines with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Des Moines