Climate averages 1991–2020
Des Moines weather
in February.
A cold month with moderate precipitation: the 11th warmest and the 2nd driest of the year.
Long-term climate patterns, not a forecast for a particular trip.
February is a cold month in Des Moines: daytime highs average 1.4°C and nights cool to about -8.1°C. By daytime temperature it is the 11th warmest of the 12 months.
Expect about 40 mm of precipitation on roughly 7 days, which makes February a month with moderate precipitation (the 2nd driest of the 12 months). Daylight, from sunrise to sunset, lasts about 10 h 34 min on an average February day.
The nearest other city in this atlas is Cedar Rapids (169 km away). In February its highs average 0.3°C, 1.1°C cooler than Des Moines, with 42 mm of precipitation.
Among the 498 cities listed in the United States, Des Moines ranks joint 441st of 498 for the warmest February highs and joint 81st of 498 for the driest February (precipitation, lowest first). The mean February high of those 498 cities is 11.1°C; Des Moines is 9.7°C cooler than that mean.
From February to March, average highs rise by 7.5°C to 8.9°C, and monthly precipitation rises from 40 mm to 67 mm.
The annual picture
February in context
Monthly precipitation
Average total · mmAverages from hourly ERA5 reanalysis data. Actual weather varies from year to year. How these numbers are calculated
Every month, side by side
Des Moines climate table
| Month | Average highHigh / low | Average low | Precipitation mm/month | Wet days ≥1 mm/day | Daylight hours/dayDaylight h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -1.3°C-10.1°C | -10.1°C | 31 | 6.3 | 9.510 h |
| February, selected | 1.4°C-8.1°C | -8.1°C | 40 | 6.5 | 10.611 h |
| March | 8.9°C-1.6°C | -1.6°C | 67 | 8.8 | 11.912 h |
| April | 15.6°C5.1°C | 5.1°C | 107 | 11.2 | 13.313 h |
| May | 21.3°C11.7°C | 11.7°C | 135 | 13.6 | 14.515 h |
| June | 26.5°C17.2°C | 17.2°C | 126 | 11.5 | 15.115 h |
| July | 28.7°C19.7°C | 19.7°C | 91 | 9.4 | 14.915 h |
| August | 27.8°C18.6°C | 18.6°C | 94 | 9.5 | 13.814 h |
| September | 23.9°C14.3°C | 14.3°C | 90 | 8.0 | 12.513 h |
| October | 16.6°C7.5°C | 7.5°C | 71 | 7.8 | 11.111 h |
| November | 8.6°C0.1°C | 0.1°C | 52 | 6.8 | 9.910 h |
| December | 1.5°C-6.5°C | -6.5°C | 41 | 5.9 | 9.29 h |
Precipitation (rain or snow, as water) is the average of the 30 separate monthly totals. A wet day is a local calendar day with at least 1 mm of precipitation. Daylight is the calculated sunrise-to-sunset length, not measured sunshine.
Compare places
February in nearby cities
- Cedar Rapids in FebruaryUnited States · 169 kmHigh 0.3°C · Low -9.0°C · 42 mm precipitation
- Iowa City in FebruaryUnited States · 173 kmHigh 1.1°C · Low -8.2°C · 46 mm precipitation
- Omaha in FebruaryUnited States · 198 kmHigh 2.7°C · Low -7.3°C · 32 mm rain
- Saint Joseph in FebruaryUnited States · 229 kmHigh 4.9°C · Low -4.9°C · 44 mm rain
- Sioux City in FebruaryUnited States · 251 kmHigh 1.1°C · Low -9.0°C · 27 mm precipitation
- Davenport in FebruaryUnited States · 252 kmHigh 1.8°C · Low -7.2°C · 49 mm precipitation
- Lincoln in FebruaryUnited States · 271 kmHigh 3.8°C · Low -6.5°C · 31 mm rain
- Rochester (Minnesota), United States in FebruaryUnited States · 285 kmHigh -2.1°C · Low -10.8°C · 30 mm precipitation
Read the numbers correctly
Climate, not a promise.
These patterns help compare months. They cannot tell you the weather on a specific day of your trip.
Sources, method and limitsHow these numbers are made (what the highs, lows and rain days mean, the sources and the model cell used for Des Moines) is explained once on the Des Moines year overview and on the Sources, method and limits page.