Des Moines, IA Weather & Growing Conditions
Local forecast, frost dates, hardiness zone and planting guidance for Des Moines, a city in Polk County, Iowa.
Today
84°F
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy. High near 84, with temperatures falling to around 82 in the afternoon. West wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
7-day forecast for Des Moines
| When | Temp | Forecast | Wind | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 84°F | Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 5 to 9 mph W | 35% |
| Tonight | 64°F | Showers And Thunderstorms | 6 to 9 mph NNE | 87% |
| Wednesday | 73°F | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely | 7 mph NNE | 63% |
| Wednesday Night | 59°F | Chance Rain Showers | 5 mph NNE | 36% |
| Thursday | 80°F | Mostly Sunny | 3 mph ENE | 5% |
| Thursday Night | 62°F | Mostly Clear | 3 mph SE | 4% |
| Friday | 85°F | Sunny | 2 to 7 mph S | 6% |
| Friday Night | 68°F | Mostly Clear | 6 mph SSE | 13% |
| Saturday | 89°F | Sunny | 3 to 9 mph S | 9% |
| Saturday Night | 73°F | Mostly Clear | 10 mph SSW | 11% |
| Sunday | 90°F | Mostly Sunny | 10 mph S | 11% |
| Sunday Night | 72°F | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 10 mph S | 27% |
| Monday | 90°F | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Sunny | 9 to 13 mph S | 27% |
| Monday Night | 73°F | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 12 mph SE | 25% |
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 Aug 4, 2026.