2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Big Sky, MT vs Des Moines, IA

Highlights

On average, there are 204 sunny days per year in Des Moines. Big Sky averages 187 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Des Moines, Iowa gets 35.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. Big Sky, Montana gets 20.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Des Moines averages 32.9 inches of snow per year. Big Sky averages 46.1 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

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

Big Sky, Montana
Summer High: the July high is around 77.9 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 7.6
Rain: averages 20.2 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 46.1 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

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

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Big Sky is 6.0 (10=best), which means it is one of the least comfortable places in Montana.

Today's Weather - Big Sky, MT

27°F

Today's Weather - Des Moines, IA

49°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Big Sky / Des Moines

July is the hottest month for Big Sky with an average high temperature of 77.9°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in Montana. In Big Sky, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Big Sky are July, August and June.

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.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Big Sky with an average of 6.5°. This is colder than most places in Montana.

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

In Big Sky, there are 1.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in Montana.

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 Big Sky, there are 253.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in Montana.

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 Big Sky, there are 28.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Montana.

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.

June is the wettest month in Big Sky with 2.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 1.0 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 29% of yearly precipitation and 20% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 20.2 inches in Big Sky means that it is wetter than most places in Montana.


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 rainiest month in Big Sky with 12.7 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 7.8 rainy days. There are 123.6 rainy days annually in Big Sky, which is one of the rainiest places in Montana. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 27% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 22% chance of a rainy day.

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.

An annual snowfall of 46.1 inches in Big Sky means that it is snowier than most places in Montana.

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

January is the snowiest month in Big Sky with 8.6 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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