West Des Moines, IA climate
West Des Moines has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade6° cooler than normal today. The forecast high is 63°, and a typical Oct 2 in West Des Moines peaks around 69°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in West Des Moines feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
West Des Moines weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 13° | 0.9" | 9.4" | 8 | 18 | 13° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 17° | 1.1" | 10.2" | 8 | 15 | 16° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 28° | 2.1" | 4.4" | 10 | 5 | 31° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 3.8" | 1.2" | 12 | 1 | 42° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 5.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 65° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 41° | 2.6" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 29° | 1.8" | 2.7" | 8 | 2 | 30° – 50° |
| December | 36° | 19° | 1.3" | 7.9" | 8 | 10 | 11° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 40° | 35.2" | 36.5" | 113 | 52 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in West Des Moines
West Des Moines gets 35 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 52 days of the year.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first one by October 20. That leaves about 184 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 57% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in West Des Moines
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In West Des Moines, 85% of that work is heating and 15% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
West Des Moines and its neighbors
West Des Moines borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Waukee has the coldest January nights (13°) and Des Moines the hottest July afternoons (85°). West Des Moines’s January low is 13° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How West Des Moines compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in West Des Moines averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at West Des Moines’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 11° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about West Des Moines’s climate
What is the coldest month in West Des Moines?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in West Des Moines?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 65°. About 22 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does West Des Moines get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in West Des Moines?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by April 18.
What is the rainiest month in West Des Moines?
May, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 35 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for West Des Moines itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Des Moines Intl Airport, IA (7 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.