Des Moines County, IA Climate


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Des Moines, IA County has a humid continental climate with cold winters and hot, humid summers. The region experiences four distinct seasons, with average temperatures ranging from the low 20s in winter to the upper 80s in summer. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, with rainfall occurring most frequently during the spring and summer months, and snowfall occurring mostly during the winter months. The area is generally sunny throughout the year, but heat waves can occur during summertime.

Des Moines County, Iowa gets 39 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Des Moines County averages 24 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 201 sunny days per year in Des Moines County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Des Moines County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 107 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 16
Rain: averages 39 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 24 inches of snow a year


Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Des Moines County is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in Iowa.

8.4 Summer - 5 Winter
September, June and May are the most pleasant months in Des Moines County, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

  ClimateDes Moines, IowaUnited States
    Unlock38.1 in.
  23.9 in.  Unlock
    Unlock106.2 days
  201 days  Unlock
  85.8°85.8°
    Unlock21.7°
  7.1  Unlock
    Unlock4.3
  685 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 Des Moines County with an average high temperature of 85.8°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in Iowa. In Des Moines County, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Des Moines County are September, June and May.
In Des Moines County, there are 19.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in Iowa.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Des Moines County with an average of 16.1°. This is one of the warmest places in Iowa.
In Des Moines County, there are 118.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in Iowa.
In Des Moines County, there are 8.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the warmest places in Iowa.
The humidity is usually comfortable in Des Moines County 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 Des Moines County are July, August and June.
June is the wettest month in Des Moines County with 4.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 1.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 34% of yearly precipitation and 13% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 38.5 inches in Des Moines County means that it is one of the wettest places in Iowa.
May is the rainiest month in Des Moines County with 11.5 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 7.3 rainy days. There are 106.5 rainy days annually in Des Moines County, 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 21% chance of a rainy day.
An annual snowfall of 23.9 inches in Des Moines County means that it is one of the least snowy places in Iowa. December is the snowiest month in Des Moines County with 7.1 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.
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