Des Moines weather in August

In August, Des Moines sees average daytime highs of 82°F and overnight lows near 64°F, with 3.7 in of rain across 9.5 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 82°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in August, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 18 min at the start of August to 13 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Des Moines's 2nd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Des Moines's year-round climate.

Daytime high
82°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
64°
11th coldest
Rainfall
3.7 in
9.5 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
5:28 AM – 7:09 PM
Cloud cover
49%
2nd clearest
Wind
7 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.66 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Des Moines is capital city of the U.S. state of Iowa and seat of Polk County.

Density
911/km²
people per km²
Founded
1843

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 82°F through the month.

A typical August day in Des Moines reaches about 82°F in the afternoon and slips back to 64°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 75°F and 90°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°F cooler than July and about 7°F warmer than September.

50°60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18366
28365
38365
48365
58365
68365
78365
88365
98365
108364
118264
128264
138264
148264
158264
168264
178264
188264
198264
208264
218264
228263
238263
248263
258263
268263
278263
288262
298262
308162
318162

How August really feels in Des Moines

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Des Moines weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 14°1.26.34.69.30.0
Feb35° / 18°1.56.34.710.30.0
Mar48° / 30°2.68.82.511.71.9
Apr61° / 41°4.211.20.913.14.8
May71° / 53°5.313.60.114.36.1
Jun81° / 63°4.911.60156.1
Jul84° / 67°3.69.4014.75.7
Aug82° / 64°3.79.5013.76.4
Sep76° / 55°3.58012.37.2
Oct63° / 43°2.87.80.310.95.8
Nov48° / 31°2.06.81.39.72.0
Dec35° / 20°1.65.93.990.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 38%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16238
26238
36238
46238
56238
66238
76238
86040
96040
106040
115941
126040
136040
146040
156040
166040
176040
186040
196139
206139
216139
226238
236337
246436
256436
266535
276535
286535
296634
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Des Moines gets around 3.7 in of rain over 9.5 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 30% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
128
228
328
429
529
630
730
831
932
1032
1133
1233
1333
1433
1533
1633
1733
1833
1932
2032
2132
2231
2330
2429
2529
2628
2727
2826
2926
3025
3125

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the muggy band about 30% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 45% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
16183026192
26183026181
37182927181
47182927181
57173028171
68172927171
78172928171
89172828171
99162929161
1010162829161
1110162829161
1210162729161
1311162730151
1411162730151
1511172731141
1611172731141
1711172632141
1811172632131
1911172633130
2011172633130
2111172633130
2211182633130
2311182633130
2411182632130
2512192532120
2612192531120
2713202530120
2814202430110
2916212429110
3017212428100
3119212426100

Wind in August

Winds average 7 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min at the start of August to 13 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 78 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:12 AM to 5:44 AM, and sunset from 7:28 PM to 6:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.35:127:28
214.25:137:27
314.25:147:26
414.25:157:25
514.15:177:24
614.15:187:23
714.05:197:21
814.05:207:20
914.05:217:19
1013.95:227:18
1113.95:237:16
1213.95:247:15
1313.85:257:13
1413.85:267:12
1513.75:277:11
1613.75:287:09
1713.65:297:08
1813.65:307:06
1913.65:317:05
2013.55:327:03
2113.55:337:02
2213.45:347:00
2313.45:356:58
2413.35:366:57
2513.35:376:55
2613.35:386:54
2713.25:396:52
2813.25:416:50
2913.15:426:49
3013.15:436:47
3113.05:446:45

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.66 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.81 kWh/m² to a high of 6.46 kWh/m² in July across the year — August's 5.66 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.0Intense
56.0Bright
66.0Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Des Moines?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.4
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Des Moines for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Des Moines in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Des Moines sees daytime highs around 82°F and nights near 64°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Des Moines in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Des Moines peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 20UV 9Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Des Moines in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where August falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Des Moines is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (October, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 1915 µg/m³Oct 217 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr10Good
May11Good
Jun12Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct7Good
Nov8Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Des Moines?

Des Moines sits at 41.6°N, 93.6°W, 873 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is West Des Moines, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around Des Moines

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Des Moines.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Des Moines has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 ft around an average of 840 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 276 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 758 ft.

The land around Des Moines is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) and trees (30%) within 2 miles, trees (33%), grassland (23%) and cropland (21%) within 10 miles, and cropland (62%) and grassland (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
200 ft
10 miles
276 ft
50 miles
758 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
August weather nearby: West Des Moines 5.6 mi · Urbandale 5.6 mi · Clive 6.2 mi · Johnston 6.8 mi · Altoona 8.1 mi · Ankeny 8.7 mi · Waukee 14 mi · Indianola 17 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Des Moines (41.6005°, -93.6091°, elevation 873 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).