Des Moines weather in January: Des Moines, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Des Moines in January has a normal high of 31°F and a normal low of 14°F, a daily mean of 22°F, holding near 31°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal January, 1.08 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −1°C and low of −10°C, 27 mm of precipitation and 24 cm of snow in January.
- 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 January?
The normal high is 31°F and the normal low 14°F, for a daily mean of 22.3°F. January is 5.4°F cooler than December and 4.6°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Des Moines and the 12th wettest. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 5.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 17°F and 27°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 28%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 32°F | 15°F | 26% | 11% |
| January 8 | 31°F | 14°F | 26% | 11% |
| January 15 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 11% |
| January 22 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 12% |
| January 31 | 32°F | 14°F | 28% | 13% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 18)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 32°F | 15°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 2 | 32°F | 15°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 3 | 31°F | 15°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 4 | 31°F | 15°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 5 | 31°F | 15°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 6 | 31°F | 15°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 7 | 31°F | 14°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 8 | 31°F | 14°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 9 | 31°F | 14°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 10 | 31°F | 14°F | 26% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 11 | 31°F | 14°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 12 | 31°F | 14°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 13 | 31°F | 14°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 14 | 31°F | 14°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 15 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 16 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 17 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 18 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 19 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 20 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 12% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 21 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 12% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 22 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 12% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 23 | 31°F | 13°F | 27% | 12% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 24 | 31°F | 13°F | 28% | 12% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 31°F | 13°F | 28% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 26 | 31°F | 13°F | 28% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 27 | 31°F | 13°F | 28% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 28 | 31°F | 14°F | 28% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 29 | 31°F | 14°F | 28% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 32°F | 14°F | 28% | 12% | 10 h |
| January 31 | 32°F | 14°F | 28% | 13% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 31°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 14°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 1.08 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 9.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 10 hJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 68%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 January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 27% on average, highest around January 31 (28%). In all, 1.08 in falls on 8 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Des Moines, 30 nights fall to freezing, 16 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 9.4 inches.
Snow falls on 7 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 18 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014933.
How humid and windy is Des Moines in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 30°F with 61% relative humidity and a dew point of 18°F; at 6 a.m. it is 20°F with 79% humidity. The wind averages 10.0 mph, most often from the west-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 20°F | 14°F | 79% | 9.2 mph | 39% |
| 9 a.m. | 21°F | 15°F | 77% | 10.0 mph | – |
| noon | 27°F | 17°F | 66% | 11.8 mph | 25% |
| 3 p.m. | 30°F | 18°F | 61% | 11.8 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 27°F | 18°F | 68% | 9.8 mph | 30% |
| 9 p.m. | 24°F | 17°F | 73% | 9.3 mph | 41% |
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 January in Des Moines?
The warmest January temperature on Des Moines's official record (since 1878) is 67°F, on January 8, 2003; the coldest is −30°F, on January 5, 1884. The wettest January brought 4.38 in (1960); the snowiest, 37.0 inches (1886).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 22.3°F: 2021 26.4°F (+4.1), 2022 18.1°F (−4.2), 2023 26.2°F (+3.9), 2024 22.2°F (−0.1), 2025 21.7°F (−0.6), 2026 22.2°F (−0.1). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26.4°F | +4.1°F | 1.35 in |
| 2022 | 18.1°F | −4.2°F | 1.44 in |
| 2023 | 26.2°F | +3.9°F | 1.64 in |
| 2024 | 22.2°F | −0.1°F | 1.91 in |
| 2025 | 21.7°F | −0.6°F | 0.21 in |
| 2026 | 22.2°F | −0.1°F | 0.89 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DSMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014933. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Des Moines compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, January normal highs run from 21°F in Northwood to 33°F in Shenandoah; Des Moines's is 31°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.