Zip 50309 (Des Moines, IA) Climate

Des Moines, IA has a humid continental climate. The summers are hot and humid, while the winters are cold and snowy. The temperature in Des Moines ranges from an average of 39°F in January to 82°F in July. Precipitation is common throughout the year, with approximately 35 inches of rain and 29 inches of snow annually. In the spring and summer months thunderstorms occur frequently, bringing heavy rain and occasional hail. The city also experiences frequent temperature swings throughout the year due to its location in a region known for its weather extremes.

Des Moines (zip 50309), Iowa gets 36 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Des Moines (zip 50309) averages 34 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 202 sunny days per year in Des Moines (zip 50309). The US average is 205 sunny days.

Des Moines (zip 50309) 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 the 50309 zip code 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 the 50309 zip code, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Des Moines, Iowa	United States
	Unlock	38.1 in.
	34.0 in.	Unlock
	Unlock	106.2 days
	202 days	Unlock
	85.7°	85.8°
	Unlock	21.7°
	6.9	Unlock
	Unlock	4.3
	791 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 the 50309 zip code with an average high temperature of 85.7°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Iowa. In the 50309 zip code, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the 50309 zip code are September, June and May.

In the 50309 zip code, there are 18.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Iowa.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the 50309 zip code with an average of 12.6°. This is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In the 50309 zip code, there are 134.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

In the 50309 zip code, there are 13.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Iowa.

The humidity is usually comfortable in the 50309 zip code 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 the 50309 zip code are July, August and June.

June is the wettest month in the 50309 zip code 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 the 50309 zip code means that it is about average compared to other places in Iowa.

May is the rainiest month in the 50309 zip code with 12.4 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 7.1 rainy days. There are 109.1 rainy days annually in the 50309 zip code, 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 34.0 inches in the 50309 zip code means that it is snowier than most places in Iowa. January is the snowiest month in the 50309 zip code with 8.5 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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