2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Richmond, VA vs Des Moines, IA
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Highlights
On average, there are 204 sunny days per year in Des Moines. Richmond averages 210 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.
Des Moines, Iowa gets 35.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. Richmond, Virginia gets 44.3 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. Richmond averages 11 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
Richmond, Virginia
Summer High: the July high is around 89.7 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 27.6
Rain: averages 44.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 11 inches of snow a year
BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX
Des MoinesThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for 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 Des Moines, while January and December are the least comfortable months.
RichmondThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Richmond is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Virginia.
7.3 / 10
September, May and October are the most pleasant months in Richmond, while January and February are the least comfortable months.
Today's Weather - Richmond, VA
11 PM PST
Chance Rain Showers
65°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Overnight | Chance Rain Showers | 63° / 82° | S 3 mph |
| Monday Night | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely | 64° / 84° | SW 6 mph |
| Tuesday Night | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 67° / 89° | SW 7 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 67° / 85° | SW 6 to 12 mph |
| Thursday Night | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 62° / 77° | SW 6 to 13 mph |
| Friday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 53° / 72° | NW 7 to 10 mph |
| Saturday Night | Slight Chance Rain Showers | 51° / 72° | W 7 to 10 mph |
Today's Weather - Des Moines, IA
11 PM PST
Mostly Clear
53°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Overnight | Mostly Clear | 50° / 75° | SE 6 mph |
| Monday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms | 56° / 72° | SSE 9 to 21 mph |
| Tuesday Night | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 53° / 72° | SSW 6 to 15 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 49° / 65° | WNW 10 to 14 mph |
| Thursday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 46° / 67° | NNW 12 to 16 mph |
| Friday Night | Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy | 47° / 70° | WNW 13 mph |
| Saturday Night | Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Clear | 49° / 76° | WNW 8 to 15 mph |
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
| Month | Richmond, VA | Des Moines, IA |
|---|
| January | 47° / 28° | 31° / 13° |
| February | 51° / 30° | 36° / 17° |
| March | 60° / 36° | 49° / 28° |
| April | 70° / 45° | 62° / 39° |
| May | 78° / 54° | 72° / 51° |
| June | 86° / 64° | 81° / 61° |
| July | 90° / 68° | 86° / 65° |
| August | 88° / 67° | 84° / 63° |
| September | 81° / 59° | 76° / 53° |
| October | 71° / 47° | 63° / 41° |
| November | 61° / 38° | 48° / 29° |
| December | 50° / 30° | 34° / 17° |
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Richmond / Des Moines
| Month | Hot Days | Freezing Days | Rainy Days | Snowy Days |
|---|
| January | 0 / 0 | 21 / 30 | 10 / 7 | 2 / 6 |
| February | 0 / 0 | 18 / 25 | 9 / 7 | 2 / 5 |
| March | 0 / 0 | 11 / 21 | 10 / 9 | 1 / 3 |
| April | 1 / 0 | 2 / 7 | 10 / 11 | 0 / 1 |
| May | 2 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 11 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| June | 9 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 11 | 0 / 0 |
| July | 15 / 8 | 0 / 0 | 11 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| August | 11 / 6 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
| September | 4 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 8 / 8 | 0 / 0 |
| October | 0 / 0 | 1 / 5 | 7 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
| November | 0 / 0 | 8 / 18 | 8 / 8 | 0 / 2 |
| December | 0 / 0 | 20 / 29 | 10 / 8 | 1 / 5 |
July is the hottest month for Richmond with an average high temperature of 89.7°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in Virginia. In Richmond, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Richmond are May, September and October.
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 Richmond with an average of 27.6°. This is warmer than most places in Virginia.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Des Moines with an average of 12.5°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.
In Richmond, there are 41.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in Virginia.
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 Richmond, there are 81.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Virginia.
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 Richmond, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Virginia.
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.
August is the wettest month in Richmond with 4.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 2.9 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 29% of yearly precipitation and 21% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 44.3 inches in Richmond means that it is wetter than most places in Virginia.
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.
July is the rainiest month in Richmond with 10.9 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 7.3 rainy days. There are 112.0 rainy days annually in Richmond, which is less rainy than most places in Virginia. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 27% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 21% 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 11.0 inches in Richmond means that it is less snowy than most places in Virginia.
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 Richmond with 4.5 inches of snow, and 4 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.
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 Richmond 
2 Reviews
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
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
Start Your Review of Richmond
Reviews for Des Moines 2 Reviews
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
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
Start Your Review of Des Moines
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