2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Lincoln, NE vs Des Moines, IA

Highlights

On average, there are 204 sunny days per year in Des Moines. Lincoln averages 214 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Des Moines, Iowa gets 35.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. Lincoln, Nebraska gets 30.9 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. Lincoln averages 25.6 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

Lincoln, Nebraska
Summer High: the July high is around 88.5 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 13.5
Rain: averages 30.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 25.6 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 Lincoln is 7.2 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Nebraska.

Today's Weather - Lincoln, NE

79°F

Today's Weather - Des Moines, IA

71°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

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

July is the hottest month for Lincoln with an average high temperature of 88.5°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Nebraska. In Lincoln, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Lincoln are September, May 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.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Lincoln with an average of 13.5°. This is warmer than most places in Nebraska.

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

In Lincoln, there are 32.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Nebraska.

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 Lincoln, there are 141.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Nebraska.

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 Lincoln, there are 9.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Nebraska.

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.

May is the wettest month in Lincoln with 4.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.7 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 39% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 30.9 inches in Lincoln means that it is wetter than most places in Nebraska.


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 Lincoln with 11.1 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 4.5 rainy days. There are 85.7 rainy days annually in Lincoln, which is rainier than most places in Nebraska. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 17% 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 25.6 inches in Lincoln means that it is less snowy than most places in Nebraska.

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

December is the snowiest month in Lincoln with 5.5 inches of snow, and 7 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.