Des Moines, WA climate
Des Moines has mild winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 6 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 | 47° | 36° | 5.7" | 1.8" | 19 | 1 | 37° – 46° |
| February | 50° | 36° | 3.9" | 2.2" | 16 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 54° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.4" | 17 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 42° | 3.2" | 0 | 15 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 66° | 47° | 2.0" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 70° | 52° | 1.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 77° | 55° | 0.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| August | 77° | 56° | 1.0" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 52° | 1.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 45° | 3.9" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 52° | 39° | 6.3" | 0.2" | 18 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 5.7" | 1.7" | 18 | 1 | 37° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 44° | 39.6" | 6.3" | 156 | 4 |
“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 40 inches of rain and melted snow a year. November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 156 days a year.
About 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 20 and the first one by November 10. That leaves about 233 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 87% 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 0.5°. Kent has both the coldest January nights (36°) and the hottest July afternoons (77°). Des Moines’s January low is 36° and its July high 77°.
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 (+2.5°). 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 36° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Des Moines’s climate
What is the coldest month in Des Moines?
December, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 35°.
What is the hottest month in Des Moines?
August, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Des Moines get?
About 6 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Des Moines?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 10, and the last spring frost by March 20.
What is the rainiest month in Des Moines?
November, with 6.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 40 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 Seattle Tacoma Intl Airport, WA (4 mi, snow) and Kent, WA (4 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.