May could be a good time to visit Des Moines, as the weather is generally fine. The average high temperature is around +73°F, and there are typically 5 sunny days in May. However, expect about 17 rainy days, and total monthly rainfall of approximately 150 mm. The weather is changeable so pack for every eventuality. Search flightsin one click on Avionero.
Average weather
☀️
+73°F
Avg. max. temperature
+30°F
Min.
+97°F
Max.
150 mm
Total precipitation
65%
Avg. humidity
3 m/s
Avg. wind
5 ☀️
Sunny Days
8 ⛅️
Cloudy
17 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Des Moines has OK weather in May.
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Average temperature in Des Moines in May
Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Des Moines for May based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The expected average maximum temperature in May is +77°F with a maximum of +88°F and a minimum of +37°F.
The average maximum temperature goes up 54% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +61°F to +88°F.
Is Des Moines warm or cold in May?
Des Moines is typically warm in May.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +63°F to +73°F. The minimum temperature also goes up from +41°F to +54°F.
It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.
Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Des Moines:
Climate in Des Moines in May
Des Moines weather looks like this, on average, in May and the surrounding months.
April
May
June
Avg. temperature
+63°F
+73°F
+82°F
Min. temperature
+9°F
+30°F
+43°F
Max. temperature
+90°F
+97°F
+102°F
Rainfall
106 mm
150 mm
144 mm
Wind
4 m/s
3 m/s
3 m/s
Humidity
62%
65%
67%
Air pressure
1013 HPa
1013 HPa
1012 HPa
Sunny days
5
5
6
Cloudy days
9
8
7
Rainy days
14
17
15
Snowy days
2
0
0
May typically has worse weather conditions compared to April.It’s getting warmer as May arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +63°F to +73°F during the day.Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 106 mm to 150 mm.Humidity rises from 62% to 65%.Winds are calmer in comparison to April, going down from 4 m/s to 3 m/s on average.The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 5 sunny days during the month.
But maybe it is worth considering traveling in June as the weather gets better.
Wind speed in Des Moines in May based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 9 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 decreasing during May, going from 9 m/s to 4 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm during May in Des Moines based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Total precipitation in May is about 126 mm, with a 32% chance of rain on a typical day. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 38 mm, which is moderate rain.May is a pretty wet month with over 10 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
May is one of the rainiest months in Des Moines, here is a comparison with other months, total mm:
Des Moines wettest month is May, where a typical day has a 55% chance of precipitation and 150 mm of rainfall per day. January, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 6% chance of precipitation and 9 mm of rainfall per day.
How was the weather last May in Des Moines?
This is the weather in Des Moines in May 2024:
1 May
☀️
+61°F
2 May
☀️
+64°F
3 May
☀️
+70°F
4 May
☀️
+81°F
5 May
☁️
+76°F
6 May
🌧️
+76°F
7 May
🌫️
+83°F
8 May
🌧️
+76°F
9 May
☀️
+75°F
10 May
☁️
+82°F
11 May
☁️
+81°F
12 May
🌫️
+79°F
13 May
🌧️
+77°F
14 May
🌫️
+74°F
15 May
🌧️
+64°F
16 May
☁️
+80°F
17 May
🌫️
+78°F
18 May
☁️
+82°F
19 May
🌫️
+79°F
20 May
☀️
+72°F
21 May
☀️
+76°F
22 May
☁️
+79°F
23 May
🌫️
+81°F
24 May
☀️
+84°F
25 May
☀️
+82°F
26 May
☀️
+77°F
27 May
☀️
+80°F
28 May
☀️
+83°F
29 May
☀️
+85°F
30 May
☀️
+88°F
31 May
☁️
+87°F
In May 2024 Des Moines had 14 sunny days, 7 cloudy days, and 4 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +77°F, with an absolute maximum of +88°F and a minimum of +61°F. The average humidity was 61%, with a maximum of 100% and a minimum of 15%. The average wind speed was 4 m/s, with a maximum of 13 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in May?
Climate Change Over the Years
This is how Des Moines climate has changed over the last 43 years.
The climate in Des Moines in May 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
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Des Moines in May:
Is May a good time to visit Des Moines?
It’s always a good time to visit Des Moines, but the weather is changeable in May, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.
Can you sunbathe in Des Moines in May?
May is warm in Des Moines. You may enjoy some beach or pool time in the day, but pack something a tad warmer for the evening.
Is Des Moines rainy in May?
Des Moines is often rainy in May. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.
Is it sunny in Des Moines in May?
Usually, it’s not very sunny in Des Moines in May, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.
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.
