West Des Moines, IA Climate


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West Des Moines, IA has a typical midwestern climate, characterized by cold winters and hot summers. The city's average annual temperature is around 54°F (12°C). Summers are warm and humid, with temperatures reaching the mid-to-upper 80s in July and August. Winters are usually cold and snowy, with temperatures dropping below freezing from November to March on most days. Average snowfall for the year is approximately 23 inches (58 cm).

West Des Moines, Iowa gets 36 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

West Des Moines averages 34 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

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

West Des Moines gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 109 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.


Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 86 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 13
Rain: averages 36 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 34 inches of snow a year


Bestplaces Comfort Index

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.

8.6 Summer - 4.7 Winter
September, June and May are the most pleasant months in West Des Moines, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

  ClimateWest Des Moines, IowaUnited States
    Unlock38.1 in.
  34.1 in.  Unlock
    Unlock106.2 days
  200 days  Unlock
  85.7°85.8°
    Unlock21.7°
  6.9  Unlock
    Unlock4.3
  827 ft.  Unlock
Climate
YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

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.
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.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for West Des Moines with an average of 12.6°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.
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 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.
The humidity is usually comfortable in West Des Moines but some summer months can be unpleasant. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months in West Des Moines are July, August and June.
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 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.
An annual snowfall of 34.1 inches in West Des Moines means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa. January is the snowiest month in West Des Moines with 8.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.
Reviews for West Des Moines
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Over 16 years ago

I just moved here from out-of-state a few months ago and have been pleasantly surprised by the broad range of activities and amenities available in this medium sized IA  More

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Over 16 years ago

Am contemplating a move to WDM from the East Coast (NYC). Might there be anyone out there that may have experienced this and could offer guidance or comment. Thanks.   More

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We just moved to West Des Moines and we love it here! We moved here three months ago and every weekend we have been able to do something different and fun. There is  More

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