Des Moines, IA: May

31 May 2026: May 2026 averaged 63.8°F in Des Moines, IA, the warmest May since 2024, tied 44th warmest of 148 (with 2022, 2015 and 1932).

May 2026

Mean temperature: 63.8°F; Warmest since 2024; 44th warmest of 148
Precipitation: 2.53 in; Driest since 2006; 32nd driest of 148

A normal May in Des Moines, IA (1991 to 2020): a mean temperature of 62.7°F, between 59.3°F and 66.5°F in eight years of ten and 5.06 in of precipitation, between 3.01 in and 7.55 in in eight years of ten.

The mean temperature of every May in Des Moines, IA since 1879: 63.8°F in 2026; the highest is 71.1°F, in 1934.

Normal range, 59.3 to 66.5°F

Every year, ranked, as a table

Every May 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
2026	63.8	44	75.1	35	52.5	58	2.53	117
2025	61.5	75	72.6	64	50.5	92	5.37	42
2024	65.6	25	76.5	23	54.8	26	6.05	27
2023	65.9	20	77.4	16	54.5	32	3.36	93
2022	63.8	44	73	59	54.6	29	2.97	103
2021	60.8	89	70.1	104	51.6	75	2.81	111
2020	60.1	104	68.5	125	51.8	70	5.57	39
2019	59.5	112	69.1	119	49.9	103	9.50	5
2018	71	2	81.5	2	60.5	1	5.49	41
2017	62.9	55	73.8	47	52	68	4.83	53
2016	63	54	73.2	53	52.9	50	4.12	71
2015	63.8	44	72.6	64	55	21	4.33	65
2014	64.1	40	74.6	42	53.6	38	3.40	91
2013	62	67	71	85	52.9	50	7.26	15
2012	68.5	5	79.5	7	57.5	8	3.15	99
2011	62.9	55	72.9	60	52.9	50	6.04	28
2010	62.9	55	72.7	62	53	48	4.79	55
2009	62.8	58	72.9	60	52.8	53	3.79	84
2008	60.4	97	71.2	82	49.6	107	3.84	82
2007	66.3	17	76.3	24	56.4	11	5.94	30
2006	63.4	50	73.5	50	53.4	45	1.41	142
2005	60.2	103	70.9	86	49.5	109	5.16	48
2004	63.6	48	73.8	47	53.5	40	7.40	14
2003	61.2	78	71.1	83	51.4	80	5.34	45
2002	59.3	114	70.3	100	48.2	120	3.24	97
2001	61.7	71	70.7	91	52.7	56	7.45	13
2000	64.8	31	75.8	29	53.8	37	3.37	92
1999	61.3	76	70.3	100	52.2	65	5.82	34
1998	66.5	15	76.2	25	56.7	10	4.97	51
1997	55.8	142	66.7	137	45	146	3.95	75
1996	57.7	129	65.2	143	50.2	99	12.13	1
1995	58.9	119	67.9	129	49.9	103	6.29	26
1994	62.5	64	74.2	45	50.7	88	1.76	134
1993	60.9	85	70.4	96	51.5	77	7.51	12
1992	61.9	68	73.5	50	50.4	94	1.45	140
1991	66.7	13	75.5	30	57.9	5	7.88	9
1990	57.8	127	68	127	47.7	125	4.36	62
1989	60.9	85	72.6	64	49.3	113	3.62	86
1988	67.4	10	80.1	5	54.6	29	1.46	139
1987	66.7	13	78.7	9	54.8	26	3.75	85
1986	62.6	63	72.6	64	52.5	58	4.35	63
1985	65.1	28	76.7	20	53.5	40	1.56	138
1984	58.6	122	69.3	115	48	121	5.58	38
1983	58.4	123	68.1	126	48.6	118	3.93	78
1982	64.7	32	73.2	53	56.2	13	5.79	35
1981	60.4	97	71.1	83	49.6	107	2.46	119
1980	63.5	49	75.2	34	51.7	71	1.94	131
1979	61	82	72.7	62	49.4	112	2.50	118
1978	61.6	74	70.7	91	52.5	58	3.49	89
1977	69.5	3	80.2	4	58.7	3	2.29	123
1976	60.7	92	71.6	75	49.8	105	2.84	108
1975	65.9	20	76.9	18	54.8	26	3.41	90
1974	60.3	100	68.9	121	51.7	71	7.19	16
1973	59.8	109	70.1	104	49.5	109	5.01	50
1972	62.5	64	72.6	64	52.4	62	3.05	101
1971	58.7	120	69.7	109	47.7	125	3.87	80
1970	65.8	24	76.6	21	54.9	23	4.21	68
1969	62.8	58	73.2	53	52.5	58	4.75	58
1968	57	135	67.4	132	46.6	136	2.62	116
1967	57.1	133	67.6	131	46.5	139	2.22	124
1966	57.7	129	69.2	116	46.2	142	5.37	42
1965	66.1	18	76.9	18	55.4	18	3.89	79
1964	64.3	37	75	37	53.6	38	2.90	106
1963	59.7	110	69.1	119	50.3	95	3.94	76
1962	69.2	4	79.2	8	59.2	2	6.02	29
1961	58.7	120	69.6	112	47.8	123	1.58	137
1960	61	82	71.8	73	50.2	99	7.53	11
1959	62.8	58	72.4	71	53.3	46	6.63	22
1958	63.9	43	76.2	25	51.6	75	3.59	88
1957	59.9	106	69.7	109	50	102	5.36	44
1956	63.4	50	75	37	51.7	71	1.71	135
1955	64.7	32	75.9	28	53.5	40	2.93	105
1954	56.7	137	67.8	130	45.7	144	5.90	31
1953	60.3	100	70.5	94	50.2	99	2.22	124
1952	60.4	97	70.5	94	50.3	95	4.15	70
1951	63.2	53	73.5	50	52.8	53	5.56	40
1950	61	82	71.3	78	50.8	85	5.60	37
1949	64.6	35	75	37	54.3	34	1.23	146
1948	60.8	89	71.8	73	49.8	105	1.98	130
1947	55.5	145	66.6	139	44.5	147	5.28	46
1946	57.1	133	67	133	47.2	131	2.84	108
1945	55.6	144	64.8	144	46.5	139	6.32	25
1944	65.1	28	74.5	43	55.6	16	6.76	20
1943	57.9	126	66.7	137	49.2	114	4.17	69
1942	59.9	106	69.2	116	50.6	91	6.60	23
1941	66.8	12	78.2	13	55.4	18	2.32	121
1940	58.3	125	70	107	46.6	136	2.09	129
1939	68.4	6	80.8	3	56	14	1.79	133
1938	61.1	79	70.4	96	51.7	71	5.21	47
1937	63.3	52	73.2	53	53.5	40	7.13	18
1936	68.2	8	78.7	9	57.7	6	1.45	140
1935	55.9	141	64.2	146	47.7	125	7.18	17
1934	71.1	1	84.5	1	57.7	6	1.06	147
1933	61.8	70	70.9	86	52.7	56	2.65	114
1932	63.8	44	75.5	30	52.1	66	2.68	112
1931	59.1	117	70.7	91	47.6	129	2.68	112
1930	61.1	79	70.8	89	51.4	80	3.36	93
1929	59.2	115	68.9	121	49.5	109	2.18	127
1928	64.1	40	75.5	30	52.8	53	2.63	115
1927	60.1	104	69.6	112	50.7	88	3.99	73
1926	65.4	27	77.6	15	53.2	47	2.11	128
1925	59.5	112	71.3	78	47.6	129	0.77	148
1924	55.7	143	65.8	140	45.6	145	1.26	145
1923	60.7	92	70.3	100	51.1	83	4.78	56
1922	64.3	37	73.6	49	55	21	6.87	19
1921	65.5	26	75.3	33	55.6	16	3.62	86
1920	61.1	79	70.4	96	51.9	69	3.14	100
1919	59.9	106	68.9	121	50.8	85	2.96	104
1918	67.2	11	78.7	9	55.7	15	5.87	32
1917	57.3	131	68	127	46.6	136	3.94	76
1916	61.7	71	71.3	78	52.1	66	3.87	80
1915	57.3	131	66.9	135	47.7	125	8.21	8
1914	64	42	75	37	53	48	4.83	53
1913	61.3	76	70.3	100	52.3	63	5.06	49
1912	65	30	75	37	54.9	23	5.62	36
1911	65.9	20	76.6	21	55.2	20	2.44	120
1910	56.7	137	66.9	135	46.5	139	3.26	96
1909	59.2	115	69.2	116	49.1	115	4.24	66
1908	60.5	95	70.1	104	50.8	85	9.89	3
1907	54.2	148	64.2	146	44.2	148	3.97	74
1906	61.9	68	72.5	70	51.3	82	2.21	126
1905	59.1	117	69.4	114	48.8	116	4.44	61
1904	60.5	95	70.8	89	50.3	95	3.16	98
1903	62.8	58	71.6	75	53.9	35	10.64	2
1902	64.7	32	74.5	43	54.9	23	4.69	60
1901	61.7	71	72.6	64	50.7	88	1.40	144
1900	64.2	39	74	46	54.4	33	4.76	57
1899	60.9	85	70.4	96	51.5	77	6.71	21
1898	60.7	92	69.9	108	51.5	77	4.22	67
1897	59.7	110	70.9	86	48.5	119	2.31	122
1896	66.5	15	76.1	27	56.9	9	6.50	24
1895	62.7	62	73.1	58	52.3	63	2.86	107
1894	62.1	66	73.2	53	50.9	84	1.41	142
1893	56.9	136	67	133	46.9	134	2.84	108
1892	55	147	62.3	148	47.8	123	8.77	6
1891	57.8	127	68.7	124	46.9	134	3.29	95
1890	58.4	123	69.7	109	47.1	132	3.00	102
1889	60.9	85	71.3	78	50.5	92	4.84	52
1888	55.3	146	64.5	145	46	143	7.84	10
1887	66	19	78.4	12	53.5	40	1.91	132
1886	65.9	20	77.2	17	54.6	29	4.01	72
1885	60.3	100	71.9	72	48.7	117	1.70	136
1884	60.8	89	71.4	77	50.3	95	4.34	64
1883	56.6	139	65.3	142	48	121	9.76	4
1882	56.3	140	65.5	141	47	133	8.53	7
1881	68.4	6	78.2	13	58.5	4	3.82	83
1880	68.1	9	79.8	6	56.4	11	5.84	33
1879	64.5	36	75.1	35	53.9	35	4.74	59

Warmest, coldest, wettest and driest

Warmest
Year	Mean, °F
1934	71.1
2018	71
1977	69.5
1962	69.2
2012	68.5
1939	68.4
1881	68.4
1936	68.2
1880	68.1
1988	67.4

Coldest
Year	Mean, °F
1907	54.2
1892	55
1888	55.3
1947	55.5
1945	55.6
1924	55.7
1997	55.8
1935	55.9
1882	56.3
1883	56.6

Wettest
Year	Precipitation, in
1996	12.13
1903	10.64
1908	9.89
1883	9.76
2019	9.50
1892	8.77
1882	8.53
1915	8.21
1991	7.88
1888	7.84

Driest
Year	Precipitation, in
1925	0.77
1934	1.06
1949	1.23
1924	1.26
1901	1.40
2006	1.41
1894	1.41
1992	1.45
1936	1.45
1988	1.46

The hottest, coldest and wettest days

Hottest day: 88°F; 15 May 2026
Coldest night: 37°F; 2 May 2026
Wettest day: 1.38 in; 18 May 2026

Every month, season and year

Months

Seasons

Years

Des Moines, IA the day's answers

All-time records

Every answer in words

May 2026 brought 2.53 in of precipitation in Des Moines, IA, the driest May since 2006, 32nd driest of 148.
The hottest day of May 2026 in Des Moines, IA: 88°F on Friday 15 May 2026.
The coldest night of May 2026 in Des Moines, IA: a low of 37°F on Saturday 2 May 2026.
The wettest day of May 2026 in Des Moines, IA: 1.38 in on Monday 18 May 2026.