Des Moines weather in December
Temperature, rain and sunshine in December: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in December
Poor
Best time to visit: June – October
What is the weather like in Des Moines in December?
In December, Des Moines is freezing cold: daytime highs average 2 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−6 °C). Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 6 days, totalling 42 mm. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Des Moines.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 38 | 29 | 30 |
| Day | 9° | 2° | −1° |
| Night | 1° | −6° | −10° |
| Sun | 5 h | 4 h | 4 h |
| Rain days | 6 | 6 | 6 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 9 h 11 min07:34 – 16:45
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 22 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 62 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 3 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−6America/Chicago
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %17 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %86 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in December
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
Des Moines in December: quick answers
Is Des Moines hot in December?
No. In December, Des Moines is freezing cold: daytime highs average 2 °C and nights drop to about −6 °C.
Does it rain much in Des Moines in December?
Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 42 mm.
Des Moines month by month
The whole year in Des MoinesAll destinations: USAWhere to go in December
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences