Des Moines, NM climate
Des Moines has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 41 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 | 45° | 17° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 5 | 12 | 23° – 35° |
| February | 47° | 19° | 0.4" | 5.4" | 5 | 9 | 24° – 40° |
| March | 55° | 25° | 1.0" | 7.7" | 6 | 3 | 36° – 45° |
| April | 62° | 32° | 1.1" | 4.6" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 41° | 1.7" | 0.7" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 81° | 50° | 2.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 84° | 55° | 3.3" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 3.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 47° | 1.8" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 65° | 35° | 1.1" | 2.4" | 5 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 25° | 0.7" | 4.6" | 4 | 3 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 45° | 18° | 0.7" | 9.1" | 5 | 10 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 63° | 35° | 17.5" | 40.9" | 82 | 40 |
“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 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 40 days of the year.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 136 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 92% 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.
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 March (+2.6°). The shift is smaller than in 68% 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. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 24° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Des Moines’s climate
What is the coldest month in Des Moines?
January, with a typical high of 45° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Des Moines?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 55°. About 16 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Des Moines get?
About 41 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 1, and the last spring frost by May 17.
What is the rainiest month in Des Moines?
July, with 3.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 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 Capulin, NM (9 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.