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Des Moines Weather by Month
Average temperatures, rainfall and humidity for Des Moines, United States, month by month, built from OpenWeather’s historical records. Use it to see what a typical Des Moines month looks like before you travel — then check the live Des Moines forecast for the days ahead.
Warmest month
July
30°C average high
Coolest month
January
-9°C average low
Wettest month
May
89 mm of rain
Driest month
February
9 mm of rain
Average temperature and rainfall in Des Moines by month
Averages of the daily highs and lows recorded in each month, with total rainfall, mean humidity and mean wind speed.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Record low / high | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | -9°C | -30°C / 15°C | 14 mm | 76% | 16 km/h |
| February | 3°C | -8°C | -28°C / 25°C | 9 mm | 72% | 16 km/h |
| March | 11°C | 0°C | -25°C / 33°C | 43 mm | 67% | 18 km/h |
| April | 17°C | 5°C | -10°C / 30°C | 68 mm | 63% | 19 km/h |
| May | 23°C | 12°C | 0°C / 36°C | 89 mm | 67% | 15 km/h |
| June | 29°C | 18°C | 8°C / 38°C | 82 mm | 69% | 13 km/h |
| July | 30°C | 19°C | 11°C / 38°C | 51 mm | 73% | 12 km/h |
| August | 29°C | 18°C | 9°C / 38°C | 68 mm | 75% | 12 km/h |
| September | 26°C | 15°C | 0°C / 37°C | 89 mm | 72% | 13 km/h |
| October | 18°C | 8°C | -6°C / 33°C | 68 mm | 67% | 15 km/h |
| November | 10°C | 0°C | -18°C / 25°C | 30 mm | 71% | 16 km/h |
| December | 4°C | -5°C | -26°C / 23°C | 25 mm | 76% | 15 km/h |
Best time to visit Des Moines
The most comfortable time to visit Des Moines is generally May and August to September, balancing mild daytime temperatures against the driest stretch of the year. The city has strongly marked seasons and rain concentrates around May, totalling about 636 mm a year.
Travellers who prefer heat should aim for July, when highs average 30°C. May is the month to avoid if rain would spoil your plans — it averages 89 mm, roughly 10× the rainfall of the driest month (February).
Source: OpenWeather historical and statistical weather data. Values are long-term averages, not a forecast — see the Des Moines forecast for what is happening now.