Des Moines weather in April: Des Moines, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for April
Des Moines in April has a normal high of 62°F and a normal low of 41°F, a daily mean of 51°F, rising from 57°F on the 1st to 67°F by the 30th. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal April, 4.02 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 17°C and low of 5°C, 102 mm of precipitation and 3 cm of snow in April.
- NOAA stationDes Moines International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014933
- Location41.53°N 93.65°W
- Elevation957 ft (292 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population213,096
- Jan 31° 14°
- Feb 36° 18°
- Mar 49° 30°
- Apr 62° 41°
- May 72° 52°
- Jun 82° 62°
- Jul 86° 66°
- Aug 84° 64°
- Sep 77° 55°
- Oct 63° 43°
- Nov 48° 30°
- Dec 36° 20°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Des Moines in April?
The normal high is 62°F and the normal low 41°F, for a daily mean of 51.3°F. April is 11.9°F warmer than March and 11.1°F cooler than May. April is the 7th warmest month of the year in Des Moines and the 4th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 10°F, from 57°F on April 1 to 67°F on April 30. From one year to the next April's mean temperature typically moves about 3.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Aprils in three average between 48°F and 55°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 40%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1 | 57°F | 36°F | 35% | 20% |
| April 8 | 60°F | 38°F | 37% | 22% |
| April 15 | 62°F | 40°F | 38% | 24% |
| April 22 | 64°F | 43°F | 39% | 26% |
| April 30 | 67°F | 46°F | 40% | 27% |
Every day of April: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon April 30, coldest night April 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1 | 57°F | 36°F | 35% | 20% | 12 h 40 min |
| April 2 | 57°F | 36°F | 35% | 20% | 12 h 40 min |
| April 3 | 58°F | 36°F | 35% | 20% | 12 h 40 min |
| April 4 | 58°F | 37°F | 35% | 21% | 12 h 50 min |
| April 5 | 58°F | 37°F | 36% | 21% | 12 h 50 min |
| April 6 | 59°F | 37°F | 36% | 21% | 12 h 50 min |
| April 7 | 59°F | 38°F | 36% | 22% | 13 h |
| April 8 | 60°F | 38°F | 37% | 22% | 13 h |
| April 9 | 60°F | 38°F | 37% | 22% | 13 h |
| April 10 | 60°F | 39°F | 37% | 23% | 13 h |
| April 11 | 61°F | 39°F | 37% | 23% | 13 h 10 min |
| April 12 | 61°F | 39°F | 38% | 23% | 13 h 10 min |
| April 13 | 61°F | 40°F | 38% | 24% | 13 h 10 min |
| April 14 | 62°F | 40°F | 38% | 24% | 13 h 10 min |
| April 15 | 62°F | 40°F | 38% | 24% | 13 h 20 min |
| April 16 | 62°F | 41°F | 38% | 25% | 13 h 20 min |
| April 17 | 63°F | 41°F | 39% | 25% | 13 h 20 min |
| April 18 | 63°F | 41°F | 39% | 25% | 13 h 30 min |
| April 19 | 63°F | 42°F | 39% | 25% | 13 h 30 min |
| April 20 | 64°F | 42°F | 39% | 25% | 13 h 30 min |
| April 21 | 64°F | 43°F | 39% | 26% | 13 h 30 min |
| April 22 | 64°F | 43°F | 39% | 26% | 13 h 40 min |
| April 23 | 65°F | 43°F | 39% | 26% | 13 h 40 min |
| April 24 | 65°F | 44°F | 39% | 26% | 13 h 40 min |
| April 25 | 65°F | 44°F | 39% | 26% | 13 h 40 min |
| April 26 | 66°F | 44°F | 39% | 26% | 13 h 50 min |
| April 27 | 66°F | 45°F | 39% | 26% | 13 h 50 min |
| April 28 | 66°F | 45°F | 39% | 27% | 13 h 50 min |
| April 29 | 67°F | 46°F | 39% | 27% | 13 h 50 min |
| April 30 | 67°F | 46°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h |
- Normal high
- 62°FApril average
- Normal low
- 41°FApril average
- Precipitation
- 4.02 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 1.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 6
- Daylight
- 12 h 40 min to 14 hApril 1 to April 30
- Days at 70°F or more
- 9
- Days at 80°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014933; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Des Moines in April?
On a given April day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 38% on average, highest around April 30 (40%). In all, 4.02 in falls on 12 days of a normal April, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal April in Des Moines, 6 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 1.2 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal April, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014933.
How humid and windy is Des Moines in April?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 64°F with 46% relative humidity and a dew point of 43°F; at 6 a.m. it is 49°F with 77% humidity. The wind averages 10.5 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 49°F | 42°F | 77% | 8.7 mph | 30% |
| 9 a.m. | 56°F | 43°F | 63% | 11.2 mph | 34% |
| noon | 62°F | 43°F | 51% | 13.0 mph | 24% |
| 3 p.m. | 64°F | 43°F | 46% | 13.6 mph | 25% |
| 6 p.m. | 62°F | 43°F | 49% | 11.9 mph | 24% |
| 9 p.m. | 57°F | 43°F | 60% | 9.1 mph | 40% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014933. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for April in Des Moines?
The warmest April temperature on Des Moines's official record (since 1878) is 93°F, on April 22, 1980; the coldest is 9°F, on April 3, 1975. The wettest April brought 7.76 in (1976); the snowiest, 15.6 inches (1982).
The April mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 51.3°F: 2021 52.8°F (+1.5), 2022 47.0°F (−4.3), 2023 52.4°F (+1.1), 2024 55.3°F (+4.0), 2025 53.4°F (+2.1), 2026 55.2°F (+3.9). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| April | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52.8°F | +1.5°F | 1.28 in |
| 2022 | 47.0°F | −4.3°F | 3.65 in |
| 2023 | 52.4°F | +1.1°F | 2.54 in |
| 2024 | 55.3°F | +4.0°F | 2.55 in |
| 2025 | 53.4°F | +2.1°F | 3.20 in |
| 2026 | 55.2°F | +3.9°F | 6.83 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DSMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014933. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does April in Des Moines compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, April normal highs run from 54°F in Northwood to 64°F in Glenwood; Des Moines's is 62°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.