Des Moines, IA: March

31 March 2026: March 2026 averaged 46.5°F in Des Moines, IA, the warmest March since 2016, 5th warmest of 148.

March 2026

Mean temperature: 46.5°F; Warmest since 2016; 5th warmest of 148
Precipitation: 2.31 in; Wettest since 2025; 51st wettest of 148

A normal March in Des Moines, IA (1991 to 2020): a mean temperature of 39.7°F, between 33.6°F and 45.1°F in eight years of ten and 2.05 in of precipitation, between 0.62 in and 3.92 in in eight years of ten.

The mean temperature of every March in Des Moines, IA since 1879: 46.5°F in 2026; the highest is 55.7°F, in 2012.

Normal range, 33.6 to 45.1°F

Every year, ranked, as a table

Every March in Des Moines, IA from 1879 to 2026, 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
2026	46.5	5	58.9	3	34.1	13	2.31	51	0
2025	46	7	58.9	3	33.1	19	2.67	40	0
2024	44.9	13	56	11	33.8	16	2.38	47	0
2023	37.6	70	47.5	70	27.6	76	1.33	100	0
2022	39	61	48.8	58	29.2	59	3.45	22	0
2021	44.9	13	55.1	12	34.8	9	2.58	41	0
2020	43.9	17	53.5	20	34.3	11	3.53	19	0
2019	34.4	102	43.3	104	25.5	104	2.49	43	0
2018	38.5	66	46.8	74	30.2	47	2.37	49	0
2017	41.6	34	50.3	46	32.9	21	3.47	21	0
2016	46.7	4	56.4	8	37.1	5	1.98	68	0
2015	43	19	55.1	12	30.9	40	0.49	139	0
2014	34.6	100	45.1	86	24.2	122	0.63	133	0
2013	33.4	112	41.2	122	25.6	102	1.67	81	0
2012	55.7	1	66.8	1	44.5	1	1.73	78	0
2011	39.3	59	48.6	62	30	51	2.16	60	0
2010	41.8	32	50.6	43	33.1	19	2.18	59	0
2009	41.4	35	51.6	34	31.2	37	4.73	4	0
2008	35.6	89	44.5	90	26.7	93	1.61	84	0
2007	45.2	10	54.7	15	35.8	7	3.16	28	0
2006	39.4	57	48.3	65	30.5	45	4.06	10	0
2005	39.6	55	50.7	42	28.5	66	1.61	84	0
2004	42.4	27	51.3	38	33.6	17	3.27	26	0
2003	37.5	73	48.2	66	26.8	90	0.80	130	0
2002	34.4	102	44.9	87	23.8	126	1.22	104	0
2001	32.2	126	39.5	130	24.9	111	1.61	84	0
2000	45.1	11	56.3	9	33.9	15	0.35	143	0
1999	38.7	64	48.6	62	28.8	64	1.52	91	0
1998	33.6	110	40.7	128	26.5	95	4.07	9	0
1997	40	49	51.5	37	28.5	66	0.85	127	0
1996	32.5	123	43.7	97	21.2	137	1.48	93	0
1995	39.8	51	49	57	30.6	42	2.75	39	0
1994	40.5	45	52.7	26	28.3	69	0.17	146	0
1993	34	108	41.7	115	26.4	96	3.22	27	0
1992	42.4	27	52.5	29	32.3	29	2.13	62	0
1991	42.5	25	53.5	20	31.4	35	3.90	14	0
1990	42	30	51.2	39	32.8	23	5.82	1	0
1989	37	80	47.5	70	26.6	94	0.37	142	0
1988	40.1	48	53	23	27.3	79	0.66	132	0
1987	42.6	23	52.8	25	32.5	26	2.99	36	0
1986	42.5	25	53.4	22	31.5	34	2.92	37	0
1985	42	30	52.5	29	31.4	35	3.37	23	0
1984	31	132	38	135	24.1	123	1.65	82	0
1983	39.3	59	46.3	80	32.4	28	3.72	16	0
1982	35.4	92	44.7	89	26.1	99	3.30	24	0
1981	42.7	21	54.5	17	30.9	40	0.39	141	0
1980	34.6	100	44	96	25.3	107	1.15	110	0
1979	35.2	93	43.5	98	26.9	87	4.23	7	0
1978	33.1	118	42	112	24.3	121	0.90	124	0
1977	44.7	15	54.5	17	34.8	9	3.57	18	0
1976	39.6	55	49.2	56	30.1	49	3.04	32	0
1975	29.6	139	37.5	139	21.8	132	1.90	70	0
1974	39.8	51	50.5	44	29.1	61	1.99	66	0
1973	45.6	9	52.9	24	38.3	4	4.15	8	0
1972	37.1	79	47.3	72	26.8	90	1.05	119	0
1971	35.2	93	43.5	98	26.9	87	0.41	140	0
1970	32.9	121	41.2	122	24.5	116	3.28	25	0
1969	28.2	144	37.3	140	19	145	1.41	97	0
1968	42.6	23	55.1	12	30.1	49	0.93	122	0
1967	40.3	47	51.6	34	29	62	1.64	83	0
1966	41	39	51.8	33	30.2	47	1.56	89	0
1965	22.7	147	30.3	147	15.1	147	3.02	34	0
1964	30.3	135	41.1	124	19.6	144	1.25	102	0
1963	39.4	57	48.8	58	29.9	53	2.39	46	0
1962	29.8	137	37.8	136	21.7	134	1.42	96	0
1961	37.5	73	44.3	94	30.6	42	5.37	2	0
1960	21.4	148	29.9	148	12.9	148	1.46	94	0
1959	36.4	82	44.9	87	27.8	71	3.94	12	0
1958	34.7	98	41.7	115	27.8	71	0.61	134	0
1957	36.8	81	46.6	75	27	86	1.74	77	0
1956	35.1	95	45.5	83	24.8	113	0.51	137	0
1955	35.7	88	46.5	79	24.9	111	0.89	125	0
1954	33.2	115	42.3	108	24.1	123	1.86	71	0
1953	38.1	68	47.3	72	28.8	64	2.37	49	0
1952	33.2	115	40.8	127	25.6	102	4.03	11	0
1951	28.5	143	37.2	141	19.9	142	3.86	15	0
1950	32.2	126	41.1	124	23.2	128	0.81	129	0
1949	35.5	91	43.5	98	27.5	77	2.38	47	0
1948	32.5	123	41.9	113	23	129	3.49	20	0
1947	32.2	126	39.3	131	25.2	109	2.08	64	1
1946	47.9	3	57.4	5	38.4	3	4.63	5	0
1945	46.4	6	56.5	7	36.3	6	5.13	3	0
1944	30.7	133	37.7	137	23.6	127	2.48	44	0
1943	31.1	131	41.7	115	20.4	141	1.96	69	0
1942	38.7	64	46.1	81	31.2	37	2.07	65	0
1941	34.9	97	43.5	98	26.4	96	0.84	128	0
1940	33.1	118	41	126	25.3	107	1.59	87	0
1939	37.6	70	48.1	67	27.2	81	1.80	73	0
1938	45.7	8	56.2	10	35.3	8	2.24	56	0
1937	34.1	107	41.5	119	26.8	90	1.99	66	0
1936	41.3	36	51.6	34	31	39	1.57	88	0
1935	41.7	33	50.5	44	32.9	21	1.10	116	0
1934	35	96	45.3	85	24.8	113	1.00	121	0
1933	37.5	73	46.6	75	28.3	69	2.19	58	0
1932	30.4	134	38.7	134	22	131	1.19	106	0
1931	36	85	44.3	94	27.7	74	1.52	91	0
1930	38.1	68	48.7	61	27.5	77	1.12	114	0
1929	40.8	40	50.1	47	31.6	32	1.11	115	0
1928	40.8	40	50.9	41	30.6	42	1.71	79	0
1927	41.1	38	49.7	50	32.5	26	2.55	42	0
1926	33.3	114	42.1	110	24.5	116	1.32	101	0
1925	41.2	37	52.5	29	29.9	53	0.88	126	0
1924	33.2	115	39.3	131	27.2	81	3.10	29	0
1923	31.5	129	41.4	120	21.6	135	4.34	6	0
1922	40.7	42	49.5	52	31.8	30	2.25	54	0
1921	44.3	16	54.5	17	34	14	1.07	118	0
1920	39.9	50	50	49	29.7	56	3.92	13	0
1919	39	61	48.6	62	29.3	58	3.67	17	0
1918	45	12	57.4	5	32.6	24	0.29	145	0
1917	37.5	73	47.8	69	27.2	81	2.30	52	0
1916	37.6	70	48	68	27.3	79	0.60	135	0
1915	31.2	130	37.7	137	24.6	115	1.16	109	0
1914	37.3	78	45.6	82	28.9	63	1.18	107	0
1913	34.4	102	44.4	92	24.4	119	3.03	33	0
1912	26.2	146	34.8	146	17.7	146	2.87	38	0
1911	40.6	43	51.2	39	30	51	1.14	113	0
1910	51.5	2	63.4	2	39.5	2	0.33	144	0
1909	33.8	109	41.8	114	25.8	100	1.56	89	0
1908	39.8	51	49.3	54	30.3	46	1.43	95	0
1907	42.9	20	52.5	29	33.3	18	1.18	107	0
1906	28.6	142	35.5	145	21.8	132	1.84	72	0
1905	43.5	18	52.7	26	34.3	11	2.16	60	0
1904	36.1	84	44.5	90	27.8	71	1.20	105	0
1903	40.6	43	49.5	52	31.6	32	1.09	117	0
1902	40.5	45	49.3	54	31.7	31	1.15	110	0
1901	35.8	87	44.4	92	27.2	81	3.02	34	0
1900	33.1	118	42.2	109	23.9	125	3.07	31	0
1899	27.8	145	35.8	144	19.7	143	1.04	120	0
1898	39.8	51	50.1	47	29.4	57	1.35	99	0
1897	34.7	98	43.1	105	26.4	96	2.13	62	0
1896	32.3	125	42.1	110	22.4	130	1.24	103	0
1895	35.9	86	46.6	75	25.2	109	0.50	138	0
1894	42.7	21	52.7	26	32.6	24	1.78	75	0
1893	33.4	112	42.4	107	24.4	119	1.15	110	0
1892	33.6	110	41.7	115	25.5	104	2.47	45	0
1891	28.8	141	36.6	143	21.1	138	2.25	54	0
1890	29.7	138	38.9	133	20.5	140	0.91	123	0
1889	42.2	29	54.6	16	29.8	55	0.11	147	0
1888	30.1	136	39.6	129	20.6	139	3.09	30	0
1887	36.3	83	45.5	83	27.2	81	1.79	74	0
1886	35.6	89	43.5	98	27.7	74	1.41	97	0
1885	34.4	102	43.4	103	25.5	104	0.04	148	0
1884	34.3	106	43	106	25.7	101	2.24	56	0
1883	32.9	121	41.3	121	24.5	116	0.57	136	0
1882	37.5	73	46.6	75	28.4	68	2.28	53	0
1881	29.3	140	36.9	142	21.6	135	1.78	75	0
1880	38.2	67	49.6	51	26.9	87	0.70	131	0
1879	39	61	48.8	58	29.2	59	1.68	80	0

Warmest, coldest, wettest and driest

Warmest
Year	Mean, °F
2012	55.7
1910	51.5
1946	47.9
2016	46.7
2026	46.5
1945	46.4
2025	46
1938	45.7
1973	45.6
2007	45.2

Coldest
Year	Mean, °F
1960	21.4
1965	22.7
1912	26.2
1899	27.8
1969	28.2
1951	28.5
1906	28.6
1891	28.8
1881	29.3
1975	29.6

Wettest
Year	Precipitation, in
1990	5.82
1961	5.37
1945	5.13
2009	4.73
1946	4.63
1923	4.34
1979	4.23
1973	4.15
1998	4.07
2006	4.06

Driest
Year	Precipitation, in
1885	0.04
1889	0.11
1994	0.17
1918	0.29
1910	0.33
2000	0.35
1989	0.37
1981	0.39
1971	0.41
2015	0.49

The hottest, coldest and wettest days

Hottest day: 91°F; 21 March 2026
Coldest night: 5°F; 17 March 2026
Wettest day: 1.69 in; 6 March 2026

Every month, season and year

Months

Seasons

Years

Des Moines, IA the day's answers

All-time records

Every answer in words

March 2026 brought 2.31 in of precipitation in Des Moines, IA, the wettest March since 2025, 51st wettest of 148.
The hottest day of March 2026 in Des Moines, IA: 91°F on Saturday 21 March 2026.
The coldest night of March 2026 in Des Moines, IA: a low of 5°F on Tuesday 17 March 2026.
The wettest day of March 2026 in Des Moines, IA: 1.69 in on Friday 6 March 2026.