Des Moines, MN climate
Des Moines has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Des Moines feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
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 | 23° | 6° | 0.8" | 9.2" | 7 | 25 | 3° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 11° | 0.8" | 9.3" | 7 | 22 | 8° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 23° | 1.6" | 7.8" | 8 | 13 | 23° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.3" | 5.4" | 11 | 3 | 33° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.4" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.9" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 2.4" | 1.1" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 24° | 1.5" | 5.2" | 6 | 6 | 23° – 45° |
| December | 28° | 12° | 1.0" | 10.2" | 7 | 19 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 31.3" | 48.5" | 106 | 88 |
“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 Des Moines
Des Moines gets 31 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 88 days of the year.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first one by October 2. That leaves about 153 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 78% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Des Moines
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Des Moines, 94% of that work is heating and 6% 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.
Des Moines and its neighbors
Des Moines borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Belmont has the coldest January nights (6°) and Middletown the hottest July afternoons (83°). Des Moines’s January low is 6° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How 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 Des Moines averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 66% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at 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. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 23° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Des Moines’s climate
What is the coldest month in Des Moines?
January, with a typical high of 23° and a low of 6°.
What is the hottest month in Des Moines?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Des Moines get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Des Moines?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 2, and the last spring frost by May 2.
What is the rainiest month in Des Moines?
June, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 31 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Des Moines itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lakefield 2ne, MN (6 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.