2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Des Moines, IA vs Bellingham, WA

Highlights

On average, there are 157 sunny days per year in Bellingham. Des Moines averages 204 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Bellingham, Washington gets 39.1 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.

Bellingham averages 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

Bellingham, Washington
Summer High: the July high is around 72.4 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 34
Rain: averages 39.1 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 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

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Bellingham is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Washington.

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

70°F

Today's Weather - Bellingham, WA

61°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Des Moines / Bellingham

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.

August is the hottest month for Bellingham with an average high temperature of 72.8°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Washington. In Bellingham, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Bellingham are August, July 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.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Bellingham with an average of 33.2°. This is about average compared to other places in Washington.

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 Bellingham, there are 0.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in Washington.

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 Bellingham, there are 49.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in Washington.

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 Bellingham, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Washington.

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.


November is the wettest month in Bellingham with 6.4 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 1.2 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 34% of yearly precipitation and 12% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 39.1 inches in Bellingham means that it is about average compared to other places in Washington.

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.

November is the rainiest month in Bellingham with 19.5 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 5.8 rainy days. There are 157.6 rainy days annually in Bellingham, which is about average compared to other places in Washington. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 32% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 14% 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 9.0 inches in Bellingham means that it is snowier than most places in Washington.

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 Bellingham with 2.6 inches of snow, and 5 months of the year have significant snowfall.