Des Moines weather by month & the best time to visit
United States · regional city · hot-summer continental climate
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The best time to visit Des Moines is September — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 77/100), with July and August close behind. Des Moines averages about 2,394 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 25°C / 77°F and roughly 87 mm of rain in September.
When is the best time to visit Des Moines?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Des Moines is September, then July and August. The dullest month is January (0/100, 23 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Des Moines?
Des Moines gets a moderate 2,394 hours of sunshine a year. 77 Sunshine Score points separate September (77) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #248 of 580 destinations in United States for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,279 hours. The year's 883 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | -1° / 30°F | -10° / 14°F | 23 mm | 1 |
| February | 0 | 1° / 34°F | -9° / 16°F | 29 mm | 2 |
| March | 7 | 9° / 48°F | -2° / 28°F | 48 mm | 3 |
| April | 57 | 17° / 63°F | 4° / 39°F | 91 mm | 5 |
| May | 71 | 22° / 72°F | 11° / 52°F | 120 mm | 6 |
| June | 69 | 28° / 82°F | 17° / 63°F | 130 mm | 8 |
| July | 76 | 31° / 88°F | 19° / 66°F | 94 mm | 8 |
| August | 73 | 29° / 84°F | 18° / 64°F | 110 mm | 7 |
| September | 77 | 25° / 77°F | 13° / 55°F | 87 mm | 6 |
| October | 60 | 17° / 63°F | 5° / 41°F | 71 mm | 3 |
| November | 7 | 9° / 48°F | -1° / 30°F | 42 mm | 2 |
| December | 0 | 1° / 34°F | -7° / 19°F | 38 mm | 1 |
Nearest destinations
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Head-to-head
How Des Moines compares month by month: Des Moines vs Omaha · Des Moines vs Lincoln · Des Moines vs Cedar Rapids · Des Moines vs Moline · all comparisons
Des Moines: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Des Moines?
Des Moines is a regional city in United States with a hot-summer continental climate.
How many hours of sunshine does Des Moines get a year?
Des Moines gets about 2,394 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around September.
When is the best time to visit Des Moines?
The sunniest time to visit Des Moines is September, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 77/100 (with July and August close behind). Expect daytime highs around 25°C / 77°F.
What is the least sunny month in Des Moines?
January is the least sunny month in Des Moines, scoring 0/100 with about 23 mm of rain.
How strong is the sun in Des Moines?
The typical midday UV index in Des Moines peaks around 8 (very high) in June, easing to about 1 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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