2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Des Moines, IA vs West Lafayette, IN

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Highlights

On average, there are 185 sunny days per year in West Lafayette. Des Moines averages 204 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

West Lafayette, Indiana gets 37.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. Des Moines, Iowa gets 35.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

West Lafayette averages 18.9 inches of snow per year. Des Moines averages 32.9 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

West Lafayette, Indiana
Summer High: the July high is around 86.4 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 16.9
Rain: averages 37.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 18.9 inches of snow a year

Des Moines, Iowa
Summer High: the July high is around 85.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 12.5
Rain: averages 35.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 32.9 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

West Lafayette

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for West Lafayette is 7.0 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Indiana.

7 / 10

September, June and May are the most pleasant months in West Lafayette, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Des Moines

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Des Moines is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Iowa.

6.9 / 10

September, June and May are the most pleasant months in Des Moines, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Month	Des Moines, IA	West Lafayette, IN
January	31° / 13°	35° / 17°
February	36° / 17°	39° / 20°
March	49° / 28°	51° / 29°
April	62° / 39°	64° / 39°
May	72° / 51°	74° / 49°
June	81° / 61°	84° / 60°
July	86° / 65°	86° / 63°
August	84° / 63°	85° / 61°
September	76° / 53°	79° / 53°
October	63° / 41°	66° / 42°
November	48° / 29°	52° / 33°
December	34° / 17°	38° / 21°

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Des Moines / West Lafayette

Month	Hot Days	Freezing Days	Rainy Days	Snowy Days
January	0 / 0	30 / 27	7 / 9	6 / 4
February	0 / 0	25 / 24	7 / 8	5 / 4
March	0 / 0	21 / 20	9 / 10	3 / 2
April	0 / 0	7 / 7	11 / 11	1 / 0
May	0 / 1	0 / 1	12 / 12	0 / 0
June	3 / 6	0 / 0	11 / 11	0 / 0
July	8 / 9	0 / 0	10 / 11	0 / 0
August	6 / 7	0 / 0	9 / 9	0 / 0
September	2 / 2	0 / 0	8 / 8	0 / 0
October	0 / 0	5 / 4	9 / 9	0 / 0
November	0 / 0	18 / 15	8 / 11	2 / 0
December	0 / 0	29 / 25	8 / 11	5 / 4

July is the hottest month for Des Moines with an average high temperature of 85.6°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Iowa. In Des Moines, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Des Moines are September, June and May.

July is the hottest month for West Lafayette with an average high temperature of 86.4°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Indiana. In West Lafayette, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for West Lafayette are September, May and June.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Des Moines with an average of 12.5°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for West Lafayette with an average of 16.9°. This is colder than most places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 18.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.

In West Lafayette, there are 26.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 135.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In West Lafayette, there are 123.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 13.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In West Lafayette, there are 6.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Indiana.

June is the wettest month in Des Moines with 5.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 1.0 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 35.9 inches in Des Moines means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

May is the wettest month in West Lafayette with 4.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 1.9 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 32% of yearly precipitation and 17% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 37.9 inches in West Lafayette means that it is one of the driest places in Indiana.

May is the rainiest month in Des Moines with 12.3 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 6.8 rainy days. There are 107.6 rainy days annually in Des Moines, which is rainier than most places in Iowa. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 29% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 20% chance of a rainy day.

May is the rainiest month in West Lafayette with 11.9 days of rain, and September is the driest month with only 8.1 rainy days. There are 119.7 rainy days annually in West Lafayette, which is rainier than most places in Indiana. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 23% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 32.9 inches in Des Moines means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 18.9 inches in West Lafayette means that it is about average compared to other places in Indiana.

January is the snowiest month in Des Moines with 8.2 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

January is the snowiest month in West Lafayette with 5.9 inches of snow, and 4 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.

Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.

Reviews for Des Moines 2 Reviews

Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA

re:

Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't More

| Reply

NC For Me · Apex, NC

re:

Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but More

| Reply

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Reviews for West Lafayette 2 Reviews

Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA

re:

Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't More

| Reply

NC For Me · Apex, NC

re:

Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but More

| Reply

Start Your Review of West Lafayette

See all reviews

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Des Moines, IA vs West Lafayette, IN

Highlights

Weather Highlights

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Des Moines / West Lafayette

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Des Moines with an average of 12.5°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for West Lafayette with an average of 16.9°. This is colder than most places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 18.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.

In West Lafayette, there are 26.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 13.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In West Lafayette, there are 6.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Indiana.

An annual snowfall of 32.9 inches in Des Moines means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 18.9 inches in West Lafayette means that it is about average compared to other places in Indiana.

January is the snowiest month in Des Moines with 8.2 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

January is the snowiest month in West Lafayette with 5.9 inches of snow, and 4 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Reviews for Des Moines 2 Reviews

Reviews for West Lafayette 2 Reviews

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:Des Moines, IA vs West Lafayette, IN

Highlights

Weather Highlights

BestPlaces Comfort Index

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Des Moines / West Lafayette

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Des Moines with an average of 12.5°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for West Lafayette with an average of 16.9°. This is colder than most places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 18.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.In West Lafayette, there are 26.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 13.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.In West Lafayette, there are 6.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Indiana.

An annual snowfall of 32.9 inches in Des Moines means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa.An annual snowfall of 18.9 inches in West Lafayette means that it is about average compared to other places in Indiana.

January is the snowiest month in Des Moines with 8.2 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.January is the snowiest month in West Lafayette with 5.9 inches of snow, and 4 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Reviews for Des Moines 2 Reviews

Reviews for West Lafayette 2 Reviews

Most Recent Searches On Compare Climate & Weather

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Zips In Des Moines, Iowa

Zips In WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA

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2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Des Moines, IA vs West Lafayette, IN

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Des Moines with an average of 12.5°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for West Lafayette with an average of 16.9°. This is colder than most places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 18.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.

In West Lafayette, there are 26.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Indiana.

In Des Moines, there are 13.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In West Lafayette, there are 6.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Indiana.

An annual snowfall of 32.9 inches in Des Moines means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 18.9 inches in West Lafayette means that it is about average compared to other places in Indiana.

January is the snowiest month in Des Moines with 8.2 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

January is the snowiest month in West Lafayette with 5.9 inches of snow, and 4 months of the year have significant snowfall.