Weather in Des Moines in December 2025
- December is usually the wettest month of the year in Des Moines;
Average weather
Average temperature in Des Moines in December
The expected average maximum temperature in December is +45°F with a maximum of +61°F and a minimum of +18°F.
The average maximum temperature goes down 8% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +41°F to +37°F.
Is Des Moines warm or cold in December?
Des Moines is typically chill in December.
Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +50°F to +36°F. The minimum temperature also goes down from +32°F to +21°F.
Pack a jumper and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
December is one of the coolest months in Des Moines, here is the comparison with other months:
Climate in Des Moines in December
| November | December | January | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +50°F | +36°F | +32°F | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| -4°F | -24°F | -27°F | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +79°F | +73°F | +64°F | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 50 mm | 21 mm | 9 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 4 m/s | 4 m/s | 4 m/s | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 70% | 75% | 73% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1017 HPa | 1019 HPa | 1020 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 6 | 5 | 5 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 14 | 15 | 15 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 7 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 4 | 8 | 9 | ||||
December weather is still as ok as in November. It’s getting colder in December. From +50°F in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +36°F. As December arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 50 mm to 21 mm. Humidity rises from 70% to 75%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during December, staying around 4 m/s. The days becoming less sunny, going from 6 sunny days in November to 5 in December.
January brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 7 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Des Moines is gradually increasing during December, going from 5 m/s to 7 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Snow
December is one of the snowiest months in Des Moines.
Here’s how December is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:
How was the weather last December in Des Moines?
Climate Change Over the Years
The climate in Des Moines in December has not changed that much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1993 (+57°F) and the highest in 2012 (+67°F). The driest year was 1988 with only 568 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2019 with 1423 mm.
FAQ
Is December a good time to visit Des Moines?
Can you sunbathe in Des Moines in December?
Is Des Moines rainy in December?
Is it sunny in Des Moines in December?
Other cities in USA
Monthly weather in Des Moines
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Des Moines, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.
