Des Moines, IA Weather & Growing Conditions
Local forecast, frost dates, hardiness zone and planting guidance for Des Moines, a city in Polk County, Iowa.
This Afternoon
68°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy. High near 68, with temperatures falling to around 63 in the afternoon. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
7-day forecast for Des Moines
| When | Temp | Forecast | Wind | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This Afternoon | 68°F | Showers And Thunderstorms | 7 mph N | 77% |
| Tonight | 47°F | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely | 7 to 12 mph NW | 68% |
| Wednesday | 53°F | Slight Chance Rain Showers | 12 to 15 mph W | 20% |
| Wednesday Night | 44°F | Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers | 12 mph W | 19% |
| Thursday | 53°F | Rain Showers Likely | 10 mph NW | 56% |
| Thursday Night | 41°F | Mostly Cloudy | 8 mph NNW | 10% |
| Friday | 52°F | Partly Sunny | 7 mph N | 1% |
| Friday Night | 35°F | Partly Cloudy | 3 mph NNE | 0% |
| Saturday | 57°F | Mostly Sunny | 1 to 5 mph WSW | 2% |
| Saturday Night | 38°F | Mostly Clear | 5 mph W | 4% |
| Sunday | 62°F | Sunny | 6 mph W | 6% |
| Sunday Night | 40°F | Mostly Clear | 5 mph SW | 1% |
| Monday | 66°F | Sunny | 5 to 9 mph SW | 0% |
| Monday Night | 43°F | Mostly Clear | 6 mph W | 0% |
Forecast source: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov) for Des Moines (41.573, -93.610). Updated through the day.
Growing snapshot for Des Moines
Last spring frost
Apr 18
First fall frost
Oct 20
Growing season
184 days
Hardiness zone
5b
More local growing data for Des Moines: nearby ZIP 50309 weather · frost dates · planting calendar · Iowa frost dates
Nearby towns & communities
Alleman
Altoona
Ankeny
Bondurant
Clive
Elkhart
Granger
Grimes
Johnston
Maxwell
Mitchellville
Pleasant Hill
Polk City
Runnells
Saylorville
Sheldahl
Slater
Urbandale
West Des Moines
Windsor Heights
Climate data from the nearest NOAA station, Des Moines Intl Ap, Ia (3.8 mi from Des Moines). Frost dates are 1991–2020 averages, not a forecast. Page updated Nov 4, 2026.