2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
West Des Moines, IA vs Boulder, CO

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Highlights

On average, there are 245 sunny days per year in Boulder. West Des Moines averages 200 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Boulder, Colorado gets 18.1 inches of rain, on average, per year. West Des Moines, Iowa gets 35.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Boulder averages 71.1 inches of snow per year. West Des Moines averages 34.1 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Boulder, Colorado
Summer High: the July high is around 88.1 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 18.9
Rain: averages 18.1 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 71.1 inches of snow a year

West Des Moines, Iowa
Summer High: the July high is around 85.7 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 12.6
Rain: averages 35.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 34.1 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index
Boulder

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

7.1 / 10
September, June and August are the most pleasant months in Boulder, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

West Des Moines

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for West 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 West Des Moines, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Today's Weather - West Des Moines, IA

3 PM PST

Mostly Sunny

84°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonMostly Sunny87° / 67°SE 16 mph
ThursdayMostly Sunny83° / 57°SSW 14 to 24 mph
FridaySunny78° / 49°WSW 13 to 25 mph
SaturdaySunny74° / 49°WNW 16 mph
SundayMostly Sunny75° / 55°ENE 6 to 13 mph
MondayShowers And Thunderstorms Likely75° / 59°ESE 15 to 21 mph
TuesdayShowers And Thunderstorms73° / 55°S 15 to 18 mph
Today's Weather - Boulder, CO

3 PM PST

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

66°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonChance Showers And Thunderstorms73° / 43°WNW 23 mph
ThursdayMostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms70° / 43°W 23 to 28 mph
FridayMostly Sunny72° / 46°W 8 to 16 mph
SaturdayPartly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms74° / 47°SE 5 mph
SundayPartly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms75° / 46°SE 2 to 10 mph
MondayShowers And Thunderstorms Likely67° / 44°N 2 to 10 mph
TuesdayChance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms68° / 45°WNW 3 to 12 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthWest Des Moines, IABoulder, CO
January31° / 13°47° / 19°
February36° / 17°48° / 20°
March49° / 28°55° / 27°
April62° / 40°62° / 34°
May73° / 51°72° / 43°
June82° / 61°82° / 51°
July86° / 65°88° / 57°
August84° / 63°86° / 55°
September76° / 54°78° / 46°
October63° / 41°66° / 36°
November48° / 29°54° / 26°
December34° / 17°45° / 18°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: West Des Moines / Boulder
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 030 / 287 / 56 / 5
February0 / 025 / 257 / 55 / 5
March0 / 021 / 239 / 73 / 6
April0 / 06 / 1311 / 91 / 4
May0 / 10 / 212 / 110 / 1
June3 / 60 / 011 / 90 / 0
July8 / 140 / 010 / 90 / 0
August5 / 90 / 010 / 100 / 0
September2 / 30 / 18 / 70 / 0
October0 / 05 / 109 / 60 / 2
November0 / 018 / 228 / 52 / 4
December0 / 029 / 288 / 56 / 5
July is the hottest month for West Des Moines with an average high temperature of 85.7°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Iowa. In West Des Moines, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for West Des Moines are September, June and May.

July is the hottest month for Boulder with an average high temperature of 88.1°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in Colorado. In Boulder, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Boulder are September, June and May.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for West Des Moines with an average of 12.6°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Boulder with an average of 18.3°. This is one of the warmest places in Colorado.

In West Des Moines, there are 18.7 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.

In Boulder, there are 32.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Colorado.

In West Des Moines, there are 134.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In Boulder, there are 151.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Colorado.

In West Des Moines, there are 13.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In Boulder, there are 5.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Colorado.

June is the wettest month in West 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 West Des Moines means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.


May is the wettest month in Boulder with 2.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.6 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 37% of yearly precipitation and 11% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 18.1 inches in Boulder means that it is wetter than most places in Colorado.

May is the rainiest month in West Des Moines with 12.4 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 7.1 rainy days. There are 109.2 rainy days annually in West Des Moines, which is one of the rainiest 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 Boulder with 10.5 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 4.7 rainy days. There are 88.0 rainy days annually in Boulder, which is rainier than most places in Colorado. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 17% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 34.1 inches in West Des Moines means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa.

An annual snowfall of 71.1 inches in Boulder means that it is snowier than most places in Colorado.
January is the snowiest month in West Des Moines with 8.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

March is the snowiest month in Boulder with 14.3 inches of snow, and 9 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 West 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

Start Your Review of West Des Moines

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Reviews for Boulder    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 Boulder

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Zips In West Des Moines, Iowa
50265, 50266
Zips In BOULDER, COLORADO
80302, 80304, 80301, 80303, 80305, 80310
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