Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Des Moines, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 84°. Temperatures cover 66° across the year, low to high. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 73% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Des Moines at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Des Moines’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Des Moines’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Des Moines feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Capulin, NM, 9 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Des Moines’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Capulin, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Des Moines
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Capulin, NM.
Living with Des Moines’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 17 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Des Moines from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Des Moines and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Des Moines yet.
Climates most like Des Moines’, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, NM | 17° | 84° | 18" | 41" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Des Moines averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 75% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Des Moines compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Des Moines’ place among New Mexico’s.
Des Moines weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Des Moines’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Capulin, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 17° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 5 | 12 | 23° – 35° |
| February | 47° | 19° | 0.4" | 5.4" | 5 | 9 | 24° – 40° |
| March | 55° | 25° | 1.0" | 7.7" | 6 | 3 | 36° – 45° |
| April | 62° | 32° | 1.1" | 4.6" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 41° | 1.7" | 0.7" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 81° | 50° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 84° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 47° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 65° | 35° | 1.1" | 2.4" | 5 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 25° | 0.7" | 4.6" | 4 | 3 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 45° | 18° | 0.7" | 9.1" | 5 | 10 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 63° | 35° | 17.5" | 40.9" | 82 | 40 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Des Moines’ numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Des Moines’ center.
- Snow: Capulin, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Capulin, NM, 9 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Des Moines’ climate
What is the weather like in Des Moines?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Des Moines in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Des Moines get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Capulin, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 40 days a year.
How hot does it get in Des Moines?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 55°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Capulin, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Des Moines?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 136 frost-free days, at Capulin, NM.
What growing zone is Des Moines in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Des Moines?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Des Moines getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Des Moines.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.