West Des Moines weather in September

In September, West Des Moines sees average daytime highs of 76°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 3.4 in of rain across 8.1 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 80°F in the first days to 71°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of September to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is West Des Moines's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see West Des Moines's year-round climate.

Daytime high
76°
4th warmest
Overnight low
55°
9th coldest
Rainfall
3.4 in
8.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:01 AM – 6:17 PM
Cloud cover
45%
1st clearest
Wind
9 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.66 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.2
out of 10

West Des Moines is city in Polk, Dallas, Warren, and Madison counties, Iowa, United States.

Density
520/km²
people per km²
Founded
1893

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

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 80°F in the first days to 71°F by the end.

A typical September day in West Des Moines reaches about 76°F in the afternoon and slips back to 55°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 64°F and 86°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 7°F cooler than August and about 13°F warmer than October.

40°60°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18161
28161
38060
48060
58059
67959
77959
87858
97858
107857
117757
127756
137656
147656
157655
167555
177555
187554
197454
207453
217353
227353
237352
247352
257251
267251
277151
287150
297150
307049

How September really feels in West Des Moines

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September 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

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

West Des Moines weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 15°1.26.24.69.30.0
Feb35° / 18°1.56.34.810.30.0
Mar48° / 29°2.68.82.511.71.9
Apr61° / 41°4.211.1113.14.8
May71° / 53°5.413.90.114.36.0
Jun81° / 63°5.011.80156.1
Jul84° / 66°3.69.6014.75.6
Aug82° / 64°3.79.3013.76.5
Sep76° / 55°3.48.1012.37.2
Oct63° / 43°2.87.80.410.95.8
Nov48° / 31°2.06.51.39.72.0
Dec35° / 20°1.65.93.990.0

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in September, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26634
36634
46535
56535
66535
76436
86436
96337
106337
116238
126238
136139
146139
156139
166040
176040
186040
196040
206139
216139
226139
236238
246238
256238
266238
276337
286337
296337
306337

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

West Des Moines gets around 3.4 in of rain over 8.1 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 28% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
126
226
326
426
526
626
727
827
928
1028
1129
1230
1330
1430
1531
1631
1731
1830
1930
2030
2129
2229
2328
2427
2527
2627
2726
2826
2926
3025

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the dry band about 50% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 15% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1212323257
2232323237
3252423226
4282422206
5302422195
6322421185
7342421174
8362420164
9382420163
10402319153
11422318152
12432318142
13452217142
14472216132
15492216131
16512115121
17522114121
18552013111
19552013111
20581912101
21591911101
2263181090
2364181080
246717970
256816970
267016860
277215850
287315750
297514740
307613740

Wind in September

Winds average 9 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of September to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 5:45 AM to 6:16 AM, and sunset from 6:44 PM to 5:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.05:456:44
212.95:466:42
312.95:476:40
412.85:486:39
512.85:496:37
612.75:506:35
712.75:516:33
812.75:536:32
912.65:546:30
1012.65:556:28
1112.55:566:26
1212.55:576:25
1312.45:586:23
1412.45:596:21
1512.36:006:19
1612.36:016:17
1712.26:026:16
1812.26:036:14
1912.16:046:12
2012.16:056:10
2112.06:066:08
2212.06:076:07
2311.96:086:05
2411.96:096:03
2511.86:116:01
2611.86:125:59
2711.76:135:58
2811.76:145:56
2911.76:155:54
3011.66:165:52

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.66 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.82 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in July across the year — September's 4.66 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.1Bright
65.1Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.6Bright
164.6Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.3Bright
234.3Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.1Bright
284.1Bright
294.0Bright
304.0Bright
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit West Des Moines?

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

7.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

September is one of the better times to visit West Des Moines for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for West Des Moines in September

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

In September, West Des Moines sees daytime highs around 76°F and nights near 55°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in West Des Moines in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in West 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 West Des Moines in September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in West 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 West Des Moines?

West Des Moines sits at 41.6°N, 93.7°W, 827 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Clive, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around West Des Moines

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around West Des Moines has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 220 ft around an average of 876 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 827 ft.

The land around West Des Moines is covered by trees (55%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 2 miles, trees (34%) and grassland (25%) within 10 miles, and cropland (62%) and grassland (21%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
220 ft
10 miles
315 ft
50 miles
827 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
September weather nearby: Clive 1.9 mi · Urbandale 3.7 mi · Des Moines 5.6 mi · Johnston 6.8 mi · Waukee 9.3 mi · Ankeny 12 mi · Altoona 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 West Des Moines (41.5772°, -93.7113°, elevation 827 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).