Des Moines, IA: December

31 December 2025: December 2025 averaged 27.4°F in Des Moines, IA, the warmest December since 2024, tied 72nd warmest of 148 (with 2016).

December 2025

Mean temperature: 27.4°F; Warmest since 2024; 72nd warmest of 148
Precipitation: 0.83 in; Driest since 2021; 53rd driest of 148

A normal December in Des Moines, IA (1991 to 2020): a mean temperature of 29.4°F, between 22.1°F and 32.5°F in eight years of ten and 1.30 in of precipitation, between 0.58 in and 2.84 in in eight years of ten.

The mean temperature of every December in Des Moines, IA since 1878: 27.4°F in 2025; the highest is 39.5°F, in 1889.

Normal range, 22.1 to 32.5°F

Every year, ranked, as a table

Every December in Des Moines, IA from 1878 to 2025, ranked: the mean temperature, the mean high and the mean low from the warmest, the precipitation from the wettest; a year missing more than a tenth of its days is not ranked.

Year	Mean, °F	Rank	High, °F	Rank	Low, °F	Rank	Precipitation, in	Rank	Days missing
2025	27.4	72	36.8	56	17.9	79	0.83	95	0
2024	30.8	31	38.1	46	23.6	20	1.66	45	0
2023	37.4	2	45	2	29.9	2	1.54	50	0
2022	24.4	91	32.7	94	16.1	95	1.99	24	0
2021	34.8	8	44.6	3	25.1	17	0.77	103	0
2020	29.3	48	38	47	20.6	57	1.96	28	0
2019	32.3	20	41.4	18	23.3	25	1.09	75	0
2018	30.9	30	39.1	32	22.7	30	2.90	5	0
2017	26.8	80	35.3	72	18.3	78	0.42	131	0
2016	27.4	72	35.2	74	19.5	70	1.41	56	0
2015	36.2	3	42.9	9	29.5	3	5.44	1	0
2014	31.8	23	38	47	25.7	13	1.04	78	0
2013	21.1	124	29.9	116	12.4	120	0.81	97	0
2012	30.8	31	39.1	32	22.5	34	1.93	32	0
2011	32.9	16	41.7	12	24.1	18	2.54	12	0
2010	23.5	97	31.5	102	15.5	99	0.77	103	0
2009	22.7	110	30	115	15.4	101	2.83	9	0
2008	21.4	121	31.5	102	11.4	131	1.99	24	0
2007	23.4	99	30.4	111	16.4	92	2.90	5	0
2006	34.7	9	44.1	6	25.3	15	2.53	13	0
2005	23.5	97	29.8	118	17.3	85	0.96	86	0
2004	29.5	45	38.8	38	20.2	62	0.60	117	0
2003	30.8	31	37.7	50	24	19	1.19	67	0
2002	31.4	27	41.3	19	21.5	46	0.01	148	0
2001	32.4	19	41.3	19	23.5	22	0.74	106	0
2000	11.6	147	19	147	4.1	146	2.12	21	0
1999	29.9	41	39.5	30	20.2	62	0.60	117	0
1998	30.3	37	39.9	26	20.7	54	0.36	132	0
1997	28.8	54	34	85	23.5	22	1.46	54	0
1996	22.2	114	29.4	119	14.9	106	0.70	110	0
1995	26	83	33.2	91	18.7	73	0.79	101	0
1994	30.3	37	37.6	52	22.9	29	2.42	16	0
1993	28.3	65	37	53	19.7	67	0.86	91	0
1992	27	77	34.1	84	20	65	1.98	26	0
1991	30.6	34	38.6	39	22.6	31	2.20	19	0
1990	22.8	107	31.3	104	14.4	113	2.18	20	0
1989	16.8	142	25.8	137	7.9	144	0.57	119	0
1988	28.7	59	39.9	26	17.6	80	0.84	94	0
1987	30	39	36.5	61	23.4	24	2.59	11	0
1986	28.8	54	35.7	66	21.9	39	0.98	84	0
1985	13.4	146	22.9	146	3.8	147	1.30	63	0
1984	27.6	71	38.2	42	17	87	2.41	17	0
1983	9.8	148	17	148	2.6	148	1.57	49	0
1982	31.6	25	39.6	29	23.6	20	3.43	3	0
1981	25.5	87	33.5	88	17.4	82	1.14	71	0
1980	26.6	81	34.7	80	18.5	76	1.00	83	0
1979	31.5	26	41.3	19	21.8	41	0.20	143	0
1978	23	103	30.5	110	15.5	99	1.37	60	0
1977	23.2	102	30.4	111	16	96	1.81	40	0
1976	21.8	118	33.3	90	10.3	138	0.12	145	0
1975	29.8	42	38.2	42	21.5	46	0.48	126	0
1974	28.2	67	35	75	21.4	48	1.83	38	0
1973	22.1	115	28.9	125	15.3	104	2.65	10	0
1972	18.3	139	25.4	139	11.3	133	1.96	28	0
1971	28.2	67	34.7	80	21.6	45	1.12	73	0
1970	28.8	54	37	53	20.5	58	0.83	95	0
1969	23.8	95	30.4	111	17.2	86	1.01	81	0
1968	21.3	122	29.2	121	13.4	116	1.71	42	0
1967	28.9	51	36.6	60	21.2	49	0.73	108	0
1966	24.8	89	33.4	89	16.2	93	0.49	125	0
1965	35.2	6	44.3	5	26.2	11	1.64	46	0
1964	23.3	100	31.9	98	14.7	110	0.87	90	0
1963	15.1	145	23.5	145	6.8	145	0.54	123	0
1962	24	94	33.1	92	14.8	108	0.50	124	0
1961	18.5	135	26.3	136	10.6	137	1.82	39	0
1960	25.9	85	34.8	77	17	87	0.45	128	0
1959	33.8	14	40.4	24	27.3	6	1.91	34	0
1958	23	103	33.1	92	13	118	0.25	140	0
1957	31.9	22	40.8	23	23.1	28	1.33	62	0
1956	28.9	51	37.8	49	20	65	0.46	127	0
1955	21.5	119	30.7	108	12.3	122	0.44	129	0
1954	29.4	46	36.5	61	22.3	36	0.78	102	0
1953	29.2	49	38.9	36	19.5	70	0.97	85	0
1952	27.2	74	33.8	86	20.7	54	1.15	68	0
1951	20.5	126	28.7	128	12.3	122	0.93	87	0
1950	20	129	28.9	125	11.2	135	0.27	139	0
1949	28.4	64	38.3	41	18.4	77	0.72	109	0
1948	27	77	35.3	72	18.7	73	1.90	35	0
1947	28.6	60	36.7	59	20.4	60	1.47	53	0
1946	31	29	41.1	22	20.9	50	0.22	142	1
1945	18.5	135	25.2	140	11.8	126	2.87	8	1
1944	20.3	128	27.5	130	13.1	117	1.70	43	0
1943	26.3	82	35.7	66	16.9	90	0.62	115	0
1942	21.5	119	29	124	14	115	1.14	71	0
1941	32.8	17	40.4	24	25.2	16	2.90	5	0
1940	29.4	46	36.3	63	22.5	34	1.28	65	0
1939	33.4	15	43.7	7	23.2	27	0.43	130	0
1938	28.5	63	36.8	56	20.2	62	0.74	106	0
1937	24.5	90	32	96	17	87	0.68	111	0
1936	30.6	34	39.1	32	22.2	37	1.54	50	0
1935	24.1	93	30.8	106	17.4	82	0.80	99	0
1934	22.8	107	29.9	116	15.7	98	0.30	137	0
1933	28.8	54	38.9	36	18.7	73	0.77	103	0
1932	22.6	111	30.6	109	14.6	111	1.60	48	0
1931	35.8	4	42.1	10	29.5	3	3.72	2	0
1930	28.6	60	35.5	69	21.7	44	0.36	132	0
1929	26.9	79	35	75	18.8	72	0.34	135	0
1928	29.8	42	37.7	50	21.9	39	1.03	79	0
1927	21.2	123	30.8	106	11.6	130	1.10	74	0
1926	24.4	91	32.2	95	16.6	91	0.67	112	0
1925	23	103	31.1	105	14.9	106	1.67	44	0
1924	17.7	140	25.6	138	9.8	141	1.62	47	0
1923	35.8	4	44.4	4	27.3	6	0.61	116	0
1922	25.6	86	35.4	70	15.9	97	0.25	140	0
1921	30	39	39.5	30	20.5	58	0.80	99	0
1920	28.8	54	35.8	65	21.8	41	1.38	59	0
1919	16.5	144	23.6	144	9.5	142	0.93	87	0
1918	34.3	11	41.5	15	27	8	1.35	61	0
1917	16.7	143	24.7	142	8.7	143	0.88	89	0
1916	22	116	31.8	99	12.3	122	0.65	113	0
1915	27.8	70	34.8	77	20.8	52	0.65	113	0
1914	18.7	134	26.4	135	11	136	1.28	65	0
1913	34	12	41.6	13	26.5	10	1.05	77	0
1912	31.7	24	41.6	13	21.8	41	0.30	137	0
1911	29.2	49	36.3	63	22.2	37	3.18	4	0
1910	26	83	34.5	82	17.6	80	0.20	143	0
1909	16.9	141	23.7	143	10.1	139	2.32	18	0
1908	29.6	44	38.5	40	20.7	54	0.31	136	0
1907	31.1	28	39	35	23.3	25	1.01	81	0
1906	28.1	69	35.4	70	20.8	52	1.46	54	0
1905	28.9	51	38.2	42	19.6	68	0.55	122	0
1904	25.3	88	34.4	83	16.2	93	2.02	23	0
1903	22.6	111	33.8	86	11.4	131	0.09	147	0
1902	22.4	113	29.3	120	15.4	101	1.77	41	0
1901	21.9	117	29.2	121	14.6	111	1.03	79	0
1900	28.6	60	36.9	55	20.4	60	0.35	134	0
1899	23.7	96	32	96	15.3	104	2.12	21	0
1898	20.5	126	28.9	125	12.2	125	0.57	119	0
1897	19.6	130	27.9	129	11.3	133	1.98	26	0
1896	34	12	41.5	15	26.6	9	0.85	93	0
1895	27.2	74	34.8	77	19.6	68	1.86	36	0
1894	32.6	18	39.9	26	25.4	14	1.15	68	0
1893	23	103	31.8	99	14.1	114	1.30	63	0
1892	19.5	132	27.2	131	11.7	128	1.95	31	0
1891	34.6	10	43.1	8	26.2	11	1.54	50	0
1890	32.3	20	42	11	22.6	31	0.11	146	0
1889	39.5	1	48.2	1	30.9	1	0.57	119	0
1888	30.4	36	38.2	42	22.6	31	2.44	15	0
1887	23.3	100	31.7	101	14.8	108	1.41	56	0
1886	18.5	135	27	133	9.9	140	0.81	97	0
1885	28.3	65	35.6	68	20.9	50	1.96	28	0
1884	18.4	138	25.1	141	11.7	128	1.93	32	0
1883	27.1	76	36.8	56	17.4	82	1.08	76	0
1882	22.8	107	30.2	114	15.4	101	2.50	14	0
1881	34.9	7	41.5	15	28.3	5	1.85	37	0
1880	19.5	132	27.1	132	11.8	126	0.86	91	0
1879	21.1	124	29.2	121	13	118	1.39	58	0
1878	19.6	130	26.8	134	12.4	120	1.15	68	0

Warmest, coldest, wettest and driest

Warmest
Year	Mean, °F
1889	39.5
2023	37.4
2015	36.2
1931	35.8
1923	35.8
1965	35.2
1881	34.9
2021	34.8
2006	34.7
1891	34.6

Coldest
Year	Mean, °F
1983	9.8
2000	11.6
1985	13.4
1963	15.1
1919	16.5
1917	16.7
1989	16.8
1909	16.9
1924	17.7
1972	18.3

Wettest
Year	Precipitation, in
2015	5.44
1931	3.72
1982	3.43
1911	3.18
2018	2.90
2007	2.90
1941	2.90
1945	2.87
2009	2.83
1973	2.65

Driest
Year	Precipitation, in
2002	0.01
1903	0.09
1890	0.11
1976	0.12
1979	0.20
1910	0.20
1946	0.22
1958	0.25
1922	0.25
1950	0.27

The hottest, coldest and wettest days

Hottest day: 53°F; 22 December 2025
Coldest night: -8°F; 14 December 2025
Wettest day: 0.25 in; 13 December 2025

Every month, season and year

Months

Seasons

Years

Des Moines, IA the day's answers

All-time records

Every answer in words

December 2025 brought 0.83 in of precipitation in Des Moines, IA, the driest December since 2021, tied 53rd driest of 148 (with 1970).
The hottest day of December 2025 in Des Moines, IA: 53°F on Monday 22 December 2025.
The coldest night of December 2025 in Des Moines, IA: a low of -8°F on Sunday 14 December 2025.
The wettest day of December 2025 in Des Moines, IA: 0.25 in on Saturday 13 December 2025.