West Des Moines weather by month
What a typical year looks like in West Des Moines, Iowa: average highs and lows, rain and snow, and the warmest and coldest days on record. Normals are the 1991–2020 averages at Des Moines International Airport, 11 km from West Des Moines; records cover 1878–2026.
The year at a glance
- Precipitation a year
- 36.6 in928 mm
- Snow a year
- 37 in93 cm
- Last spring freeze
- Apr 17
- First fall freeze
- Oct 15
- Heating degree days
- 6,178
- Cooling degree days
- 1,071
Freeze dates are medians (half of years earlier, half later). Degree days use a 65°F base; HVAC design temperatures here are −6°−21° (heating, 99%) and 95°35° (cooling, 1%).
Month by month
West Des Moines in January
Highs average 31°−1° and lows 14°−10°, with 1.1 in27 mm of precipitation and 9 in24 cm of snow in a typical January.
- Record high
- 67°19° (2003)
- Record low
- −30°−34° (1884)
- Heating degree days
- 1322
- Cooling degree days
- 0
West Des Moines in February
Highs average 36°2° and lows 18°−8°, with 1.3 in34 mm of precipitation and 10 in26 cm of snow in a typical February.
- Record high
- 78°26° (1930)
- Record low
- −26°−32° (1905)
- Heating degree days
- 1068
- Cooling degree days
- 0
West Des Moines in March
Highs average 49°10° and lows 30°−1°, with 2.2 in55 mm of precipitation and 4 in11 cm of snow in a typical March.
- Record high
- 91°33° (1986)
- Record low
- −22°−30° (1962)
- Heating degree days
- 796
- Cooling degree days
- 2
West Des Moines in April
Highs average 62°17° and lows 41°5°, with 4 in102 mm of precipitation and 1.2 in3 cm of snow in a typical April.
- Record high
- 93°34° (1980)
- Record low
- 9°−13° (1975)
- Heating degree days
- 421
- Cooling degree days
- 10
West Des Moines in May
Highs average 72°22° and lows 52°11°, with 5.2 in133 mm of precipitation and 0.2 in0.5 cm of snow in a typical May.
- Record high
- 105°41° (1934)
- Record low
- 26°−3° (1907)
- Heating degree days
- 153
- Cooling degree days
- 71
West Des Moines in June
Highs average 82°28° and lows 62°17°, with 5.3 in134 mm of precipitation in a typical June.
- Record high
- 103°39° (1933)
- Record low
- 37°3° (1889)
- Heating degree days
- 15
- Cooling degree days
- 230
West Des Moines in July
Highs average 86°30° and lows 66°19°, with 3.8 in97 mm of precipitation in a typical July.
- Record high
- 110°43° (1936)
- Record low
- 47°8° (1971)
- Heating degree days
- 1
- Cooling degree days
- 342
West Des Moines in August
Highs average 84°29° and lows 64°18°, with 4.2 in106 mm of precipitation in a typical August.
- Record high
- 110°43° (1918)
- Record low
- 40°4° (1891)
- Heating degree days
- 4
- Cooling degree days
- 280
West Des Moines in September
Highs average 77°25° and lows 55°13°, with 3.2 in81 mm of precipitation in a typical September.
- Record high
- 101°38° (1939)
- Record low
- 26°−3° (1899)
- Heating degree days
- 86
- Cooling degree days
- 120
West Des Moines in OctoberThis month
Highs average 63°17° and lows 43°6°, with 2.8 in71 mm of precipitation and 0.5 in1.3 cm of snow in a typical October.
- Record high
- 95°35° (1963)
- Record low
- 7°−14° (1925)
- Heating degree days
- 383
- Cooling degree days
- 16
West Des Moines in November
Highs average 48°9° and lows 30°−1°, with 1.9 in49 mm of precipitation and 2.7 in6.9 cm of snow in a typical November.
- Record high
- 82°28° (1938)
- Record low
- −10°−23° (1891)
- Heating degree days
- 773
- Cooling degree days
- 0
West Des Moines in December
Highs average 36°2° and lows 20°−7°, with 1.6 in40 mm of precipitation and 8 in20 cm of snow in a typical December.
- Record high
- 74°23° (2021)
- Record low
- −22°−30° (1989)
- Heating degree days
- 1156
- Cooling degree days
- 0