2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Des Moines, IA vs Salt Lake City, UT

Highlights

On average, there are 222 sunny days per year in Salt Lake City. Des Moines averages 204 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Salt Lake City, Utah gets 19.5 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.

Salt Lake City averages 53.6 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

Salt Lake City, Utah
Summer High: the July high is around 91 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 23.3
Rain: averages 19.5 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 53.6 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

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Salt Lake City is 7.2 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Utah.

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

Today's Weather - Des Moines, IA

73°F

Today's Weather - Salt Lake City, UT

50°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Des Moines / Salt Lake City

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 Salt Lake City with an average high temperature of 91.0°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Utah. In Salt Lake City, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Salt Lake City are September, June and May.

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 Salt Lake City with an average of 23.3°. This is one of the warmest places in Utah.

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 Salt Lake City, there are 41.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Utah.

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 Salt Lake City, there are 104.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in Utah.

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 Salt Lake City, there are 0.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Utah.

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.


April is the wettest month in Salt Lake City with 2.4 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.7 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 36% of yearly precipitation and 14% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 19.5 inches in Salt Lake City means that it is wetter than most places in Utah.

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.

April is the rainiest month in Salt Lake City with 9.7 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 4.1 rainy days. There are 91.4 rainy days annually in Salt Lake City, which is rainier than most places in Utah. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 16% 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 53.6 inches in Salt Lake City means that it is snowier than most places in Utah.

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

December is the snowiest month in Salt Lake City with 12.1 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.