Des Moines-West Des Moines Metro Area, IA Climate

The Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metro Area has a humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Summers are generally very humid with temperatures in the mid-80s and the occasional heatwave pushing temperatures into the 90s. Winters, on the other hand, can be bitterly cold with temperatures averaging around 20°F and snowfall ranging from 10 to 15 inches per year. The area also experiences four distinct seasons which bring along their own unique weather patterns. Spring is usually wet and cool, while autumn brings a warm and pleasant climate.

Des Moines-West Des Moines Metro Area, Iowa gets 36 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Des Moines-West Des Moines Metro Area averages 31 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 199 sunny days per year in Des Moines-West Des Moines Metro Area. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Des Moines-West Des Moines Metro Area gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 103 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 85 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 12
Rain: averages 36 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 31 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area is 7.0 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Iowa.

8.7 Summer - 4.7 Winter

June, September and August are the most pleasant months in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa	United States
	35.8 in.	38.1 in.
	30.8 in.	27.8 in.
	103.4 days	106.2 days
	199 days	205 days
	85.2°	85.8°
	11.8°	21.7°
	7	7
	3.9	4.3
	1014 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area with an average high temperature of 85.2°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Iowa. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area are September, June and August.

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area, there are 16.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area with an average of 11.8°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area, there are 140.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area, there are 14.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

The humidity is usually comfortable in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area but some summer months can be unpleasant. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area are July, August and June.

June is the wettest month in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area with 5.0 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.9 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 39% of yearly precipitation and 9% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 35.8 inches in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

May is the rainiest month in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area with 12.1 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 6.3 rainy days. There are 103.4 rainy days annually in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area, which is rainier than most places in Iowa. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 30% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 19% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 30.8 inches in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa. December is the snowiest month in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area with 7.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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Heather · Des Plaines, IL

Move to Des Moines and don’t move to Chicago

Over 4 years ago

I’ve been there many times I’m planning on moving there from Chicago land Area area Because it’s getting out of control there prices have skyrocketed violent crime has More

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