Des Moines weather in November

In November, Des Moines sees average daytime highs of 48°F and overnight lows near 31°F, with 2.0 in of precipitation across 6.8 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 54°F in the first days to 42°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in November, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 12 min at the start of November to 9 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, November is Des Moines's 6th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Des Moines's year-round climate.

Daytime high
48°
9th warmest
Overnight low
31°
5th coldest
Precipitation
2.0 in
6.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
7:11 AM – 4:48 PM
Cloud cover
57%
6th clearest
Wind
10 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
2.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.0
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 November

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 54°F in the first days to 42°F by the end.

A typical November day in Des Moines reaches about 48°F in the afternoon and slips back to 31°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 33°F and 63°F. Set against its neighbours, November runs about 15°F cooler than October and about 13°F warmer than December.

20°40°60°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15537
25436
35436
45335
55335
65234
75234
85133
95133
105133
115032
125032
134932
144931
154831
164831
174730
184730
194730
204629
214629
224529
234528
244428
254427
264327
274326
284226
294226
304125

How November really feels in Des Moines

Once humidity and wind are folded in, November averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 30 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
30
wind chill below the day's low

The story in November is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Des Moines weather by month

How November compares with the rest of the year at a glance. November is the 9th-warmest and 9th-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 November

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in November.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of November, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25050
35050
45050
55050
65050
75149
85149
95149
105149
115149
125149
135149
145050
154951
164852
174852
184753
194753
204753
214654
224654
234555
244456
254456
264357
274357
284357
294357
304357

Chance of precipitation in November

Any precipitationSnow

Des Moines gets around 2.0 in of rain and snow over 6.8 wet days in November. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 22% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1233
2233
3233
4223
5223
6223
7223
8213
9213
10214
11214
12214
13214
14214
15214
16224
17224
18225
19235
20235
21235
22235
23236
24236
25237
26237
27238
28238
29229
302210

Humidity in November

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, November lands in the dry band about 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19631
29721
39820
49820
59820
69910
79910
89910
99910
109910
119910
129910
139910
149910
159910
169910
179910
189910
199910
209910
219910
229910
239910
2410000
2510000
2610000
2710000
2810000
2910000
3010000

Wind in November

Winds average 10 mph in November.

Across November, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
2610light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in November

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 12 min at the start of November to 9 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over November. Sunrise moves from 6:53 AM to 7:27 AM, and sunset from 5:03 PM to 4:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.26:535:03
210.16:545:02
310.16:555:01
410.06:575:00
510.06:584:58
610.06:594:57
79.97:004:56
89.97:024:55
99.97:034:54
109.87:044:53
119.87:054:52
129.87:064:51
139.77:084:51
149.77:094:50
159.67:104:49
169.67:114:48
179.67:124:47
189.67:144:47
199.57:154:46
209.57:164:45
219.57:174:45
229.47:184:44
239.47:194:44
249.47:204:43
259.37:224:43
269.37:234:42
279.37:244:42
289.37:254:41
299.37:264:41
309.27:274:41

Solar energy in November

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in November, about 2.21 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 — November's 2.21 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.6Moderate
32.6Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.5Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.2Moderate
162.2Moderate
172.2Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.1Moderate
212.1Moderate
222.0Moderate
232.0Moderate
242.0Moderate
252.0Dim
262.0Dim
271.9Dim
281.9Dim
291.9Dim
301.9Dim
Planning a trip in November

Is November a good time to visit Des Moines?

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

2.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

November is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Des Moines.

What to pack for Des Moines in November

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

In November, Des Moines sees daytime highs around 48°F and nights near 31°F. Pack a warm layer. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Des Moines in November

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in November peaks around 3. 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 November

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where November 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
November 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).