Des Moines, IA: Winter

28 February 2026: Winter 2026 (December 2025 to February 2026) averaged 27.9°F in Des Moines, IA, the warmest winter since 2024, tied 28th warmest of 148 (with 2005 and 1934).

Winter 2026 (December 2025 to February 2026)

Mean temperature: 27.9°F; Warmest since 2024; 28th warmest of 148
Precipitation: 2.43 in; Driest since 2025; 31st driest of 148

A normal winter in Des Moines, IA (1991 to 2020): a mean temperature of 25.5°F, between 20.7°F and 31.3°F in eight years of ten and 3.76 in of precipitation, between 2.42 in and 5.82 in in eight years of ten.

The mean temperature of every winter in Des Moines, IA since 1879: 27.9°F in 2026; the highest is 33.1°F, in 2024.

Normal range, 20.7 to 31.3°F

Every year, ranked, as a table

Every winter 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	27.9	28	37.4	20	18.3	39	2.43	117	0
2025	25.4	61	34.3	55	16.5	64	2.25	124	0
2024	33.1	1	41.9	1	24.3	1	3.87	54	0
2023	27	40	35.8	40	18.3	39	5.64	16	0
2022	25.8	55	36.6	27	14.9	87	2.43	117	0
2021	23.9	79	31.6	92	16.2	73	4.01	47	0
2020	28.4	22	36.8	26	19.9	20	2.91	99	0
2019	23.5	86	31.9	87	15.2	82	6.71	4	0
2018	24.8	72	33.7	65	16	76	3.22	83	0
2017	31.2	7	39.5	7	22.9	9	3.92	51	0
2016	30.7	8	37.9	17	23.4	5	7.21	2	0
2015	25.6	56	33.9	61	17.4	52	3.06	94	0
2014	19.2	129	29.1	124	9.3	134	3.15	87	0
2013	28.5	20	37.4	20	19.7	21	4.78	26	0
2012	32	3	40.9	3	23	8	4.75	27	0
2011	22.8	96	31	101	14.6	93	2.61	112	0
2010	19.8	128	27	134	12.6	116	5.58	17	0
2009	22.8	96	32.4	79	13.3	109	3.37	75	0
2008	20.9	118	28.6	126	13.1	112	5.80	13	0
2007	25.9	51	34.1	58	17.7	49	5.69	15	0
2006	29	18	37.3	22	20.7	16	1.93	136	0
2005	27.9	28	36.2	35	19.6	24	3.23	82	0
2004	25.3	63	33.1	74	17.6	50	4.32	35	0
2003	24.9	69	34.5	52	15.2	82	2.11	129	0
2002	31.8	5	41.4	2	22.2	12	2.19	127	0
2001	18.4	133	26.2	138	10.7	129	6.04	10	0
2000	30.5	11	39.5	7	21.4	15	2.67	109	0
1999	28.3	23	36.6	27	20	19	2.45	116	0
1998	30.1	15	36.4	30	23.8	3	3.73	61	0
1997	22	107	29.9	114	14.1	96	3.13	90	0
1996	22.7	98	31.3	94	14.2	94	4.21	38	0
1995	26.5	44	34.5	52	18.6	34	4.08	43	0
1994	20.8	121	29.7	117	12	120	3.79	57	0
1993	23.3	89	30.2	111	16.5	64	5.09	21	0
1992	32	3	40.4	5	23.6	4	5.29	20	0
1991	24.1	78	33.3	70	14.8	89	3.30	78	0
1990	26.4	45	35.9	38	16.8	57	2.89	100	0
1989	25.9	51	35.9	38	15.8	77	3.19	84	0
1988	23.7	82	32.4	79	15.1	85	3.55	70	0
1987	30.2	14	38.9	11	21.5	14	2.78	106	0
1986	20.6	122	29.4	119	11.8	122	3.18	86	0
1985	21.8	109	31.6	92	12.1	118	5.03	23	0
1984	21.4	113	29.3	123	13.4	106	3.38	74	0
1983	30.4	12	37.8	19	22.9	9	6.55	5	0
1982	19.2	129	27.4	131	11	126	4.55	29	0
1981	27.3	31	37.3	22	17.2	55	2.22	126	0
1980	25.5	58	33.7	65	17.3	54	2.64	111	0
1979	14.8	146	22.7	146	6.8	146	3.61	66	0
1978	15.9	144	23.6	145	8.2	142	3.36	76	0
1977	20.2	125	31.3	94	9.1	135	0.98	148	0
1976	28.8	19	38.8	12	18.8	31	3.14	88	0
1975	24.5	76	31.8	90	17.2	55	4.72	28	0
1974	23	92	30.6	105	15.4	80	5.00	24	0
1973	22.5	99	29.6	118	15.4	80	6.26	8	0
1972	21.6	111	30.2	111	13	113	2.19	127	0
1971	22.5	99	30.3	110	14.7	92	4.92	25	0
1970	21	116	29.9	114	12.1	118	1.51	141	0
1969	21	116	27.9	127	14	97	3.69	62	0
1968	25	67	33.4	69	16.7	60	1.64	138	0
1967	23.6	85	33.3	70	13.9	100	1.54	139	0
1966	24.7	74	33.9	61	15.5	78	2.85	102	0
1965	20.4	124	29.4	119	11.3	124	3.63	65	0
1964	23	92	32.2	84	13.8	102	1.33	146	0
1963	17	141	25.8	141	8.3	141	2.05	133	0
1962	17.2	140	24.8	143	9.6	133	3.96	48	0
1961	25.9	51	35.4	43	16.3	69	3.46	72	0
1960	24.9	69	31.9	87	17.9	46	7.87	1	0
1959	20.9	118	30	113	11.9	121	2.11	129	0
1958	24.8	72	33.2	73	16.4	66	2.65	110	0
1957	25	67	33.6	67	16.3	69	1.38	145	0
1956	22.2	104	31.2	97	13.3	109	1.41	144	0
1955	24.4	77	32.3	82	16.6	62	3.65	64	0
1954	28.5	20	39	9	18	42	2.39	119	0
1953	26.9	41	34.4	54	19.4	26	3.91	53	0
1952	24.6	75	32.7	76	16.4	66	2.73	107	0
1951	21.8	109	30.7	103	13	113	3.85	55	0
1950	23.7	82	33.9	61	13.5	105	4.35	34	0
1949	21.9	108	30.5	109	13.3	109	6.09	9	0
1948	23.9	79	32.9	75	14.8	89	4.04	46	0
1947	25.5	58	34.6	50	16.4	66	3.13	90	2
1946	23.9	79	32.7	76	15	86	5.33	19	3
1945	22.1	105	29.4	119	14.8	89	4.06	45	0
1944	28.3	23	38	16	18.6	34	2.59	113	0
1943	22.5	99	31.1	98	13.9	100	2.31	121	0
1942	26.2	48	33.8	64	18.6	34	5.84	12	0
1941	25.6	56	32.7	76	18.6	34	4.17	40	0
1940	22.3	102	31.1	98	13.4	106	2.93	98	0
1939	27.1	37	36.3	32	18	42	4.17	40	0
1938	26.1	49	34.3	55	18	42	1.97	135	0
1937	22.3	102	30.9	102	13.6	104	4.19	39	0
1936	14.5	147	21.9	148	7.2	143	3.61	66	0
1935	25.3	63	32.3	82	18.3	39	3.19	84	0
1934	27.9	28	37.2	25	18.7	33	2.71	108	0
1933	27.1	37	36.3	32	17.9	46	2.82	103	0
1932	30.7	8	38.3	15	23.1	6	6.47	6	0
1931	31.8	5	40.5	4	23.1	6	1.02	147	0
1930	25.4	61	34.1	58	16.6	62	2.25	124	0
1929	19	132	27.6	129	10.4	131	5.79	14	0
1928	26.4	45	35.4	43	17.5	51	4.31	36	0
1927	27.2	34	35.6	42	18.9	29	2.10	132	0
1926	27.1	37	35.4	43	18.8	31	3.44	73	0
1925	23.3	89	32.4	79	14.2	94	2.35	120	0
1924	26.7	43	35.4	43	17.9	46	3.61	66	0
1923	25.9	51	34.9	49	16.8	57	1.49	142	0
1922	26.3	47	36	37	16.7	60	2.29	122	0
1921	30.7	8	38.6	13	22.8	11	2.89	100	0
1920	20	127	27.2	132	12.8	115	2.11	129	0
1919	30.3	13	38.5	14	22.1	13	4.43	31	0
1918	18	136	27.2	132	8.9	136	3.11	92	0
1917	20.5	123	30.6	105	10.3	132	1.70	137	0
1916	23.4	87	31.8	90	14.9	87	3.92	51	0
1915	23.4	87	30.7	103	16.2	73	6.44	7	0
1914	28.1	25	36.4	30	19.7	21	3.14	88	0
1913	26	50	35.7	41	16.3	69	2.05	133	0
1912	18.3	134	26.1	139	10.5	130	5.57	18	0
1911	25.5	58	34.2	57	16.8	57	3.95	49	0
1910	19.2	129	27.5	130	10.8	127	4.24	37	0
1909	27.3	31	36.2	35	18.4	38	2.82	103	0
1908	28.1	25	36.6	27	19.7	21	2.98	97	0
1907	25.3	63	33.3	70	17.4	52	3.26	80	0
1906	27.2	34	36.3	32	18	42	3.48	71	0
1905	17.7	137	26.9	135	8.6	140	4.16	42	0
1904	18.3	134	27.9	127	8.8	137	1.53	140	0
1903	23.3	89	31.3	94	15.2	82	3.09	93	0
1902	22.1	105	30.6	105	13.7	103	2.46	115	0
1901	25.1	66	34	60	16.3	69	2.47	114	0
1900	23	92	31.9	87	14	97	2.82	103	0
1899	20.1	126	29.4	119	10.8	127	1.43	143	0
1898	23.7	82	32	85	15.5	78	4.39	32	0
1897	26.8	42	34.6	50	19	28	3.58	69	0
1896	27.3	31	35.1	48	19.6	24	3.25	81	0
1895	23	92	32	85	14	97	3.05	96	0
1894	21.5	112	30.6	105	12.3	117	3.78	59	0
1893	15.6	145	24.1	144	7.1	145	3.79	57	0
1892	27.2	34	35.4	43	19.1	27	4.49	30	0
1891	28.1	25	37.3	22	18.9	29	3.06	94	0
1890	29.1	17	37.9	17	20.2	18	4.36	33	0
1889	24.9	69	33.6	67	16.2	73	3.93	50	0
1888	17.7	137	26.6	136	8.8	137	4.07	44	0
1887	16.2	143	26.1	139	6.4	148	3.29	79	0
1886	21.2	114	29	125	13.4	106	5.95	11	0
1885	14.5	147	22.4	147	6.6	147	3.35	77	0
1884	21.1	115	31.1	98	11.1	125	3.85	55	0
1883	16.4	142	25.6	142	7.2	143	6.73	3	0
1882	32.3	2	40.4	5	24.3	1	3.69	62	0
1881	17.6	139	26.3	137	8.8	137	5.09	21	0
1880	29.8	16	39	9	20.5	17	2.26	123	0
1879	20.9	118	29.9	114	11.8	122	3.74	60	0

Warmest, coldest, wettest and driest

Warmest
Year	Mean, °F
2024	33.1
1882	32.3
2012	32
1992	32
2002	31.8
1931	31.8
2017	31.2
2016	30.7
1932	30.7
1921	30.7

Coldest
Year	Mean, °F
1936	14.5
1885	14.5
1979	14.8
1893	15.6
1978	15.9
1887	16.2
1883	16.4
1963	17
1962	17.2
1881	17.6

Wettest
Year	Precipitation, in
1960	7.87
2016	7.21
1883	6.73
2019	6.71
1983	6.55
1932	6.47
1915	6.44
1973	6.26
1949	6.09
2001	6.04

Driest
Year	Precipitation, in
1977	0.98
1931	1.02
1964	1.33
1957	1.38
1956	1.41
1899	1.43
1923	1.49
1970	1.51
1904	1.53
1967	1.54

The hottest, coldest and wettest days

Hottest day: 68°F; 16 February 2026
Coldest night: -12°F; 23 January 2026
Wettest day: 0.80 in; 8 January 2026

Every month, season and year

Months

Seasons

Years

Des Moines, IA the day's answers

All-time records

Every answer in words

Winter 2026 (December 2025 to February 2026) brought 2.43 in of precipitation in Des Moines, IA, the driest winter since 2025, tied 31st driest of 148 (with 2022).
The hottest day of winter 2026 (December 2025 to February 2026) in Des Moines, IA: 68°F on Monday 16 February 2026.
The coldest night of winter 2026 (December 2025 to February 2026) in Des Moines, IA: a low of -12°F on Friday 23 January 2026.
The wettest day of winter 2026 (December 2025 to February 2026) in Des Moines, IA: 0.80 in on Thursday 8 January 2026.