Des Moines weather in March: Des Moines, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for March
Des Moines in March has a normal high of 49°F and a normal low of 30°F, a daily mean of 39°F, rising from 42°F on the 1st to 56°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal March, 2.17 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 10°C and low of −1°C, 55 mm of precipitation and 11 cm of snow in March.
- 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 March?
The normal high is 49°F and the normal low 30°F, for a daily mean of 39.4°F. March is 12.5°F warmer than February and 11.9°F cooler than April. March is the 8th warmest month of the year in Des Moines and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 14°F, from 42°F on March 1 to 56°F on March 31. From one year to the next March's mean temperature typically moves about 4.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Marchs in three average between 35°F and 44°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1 | 42°F | 24°F | 30% | 15% |
| March 8 | 45°F | 27°F | 30% | 15% |
| March 15 | 49°F | 29°F | 30% | 16% |
| March 22 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 17% |
| March 31 | 56°F | 35°F | 34% | 19% |
Every day of March: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon March 31, coldest night March 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1 | 42°F | 24°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 10 min |
| March 2 | 42°F | 24°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 3 | 43°F | 24°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 4 | 43°F | 25°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 5 | 44°F | 25°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 6 | 44°F | 26°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 7 | 45°F | 26°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 8 | 45°F | 27°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 9 | 46°F | 27°F | 30% | 15% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 10 | 46°F | 27°F | 30% | 16% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 11 | 47°F | 28°F | 30% | 16% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 12 | 47°F | 28°F | 30% | 16% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 13 | 48°F | 29°F | 30% | 16% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 14 | 48°F | 29°F | 30% | 16% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 15 | 49°F | 29°F | 30% | 16% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 16 | 49°F | 30°F | 31% | 16% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 17 | 50°F | 30°F | 31% | 16% | 12 h |
| March 18 | 50°F | 31°F | 31% | 16% | 12 h |
| March 19 | 51°F | 31°F | 31% | 16% | 12 h |
| March 20 | 51°F | 31°F | 31% | 17% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 21 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 17% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 22 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 17% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 23 | 53°F | 32°F | 32% | 17% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 24 | 53°F | 33°F | 32% | 18% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 25 | 54°F | 33°F | 33% | 18% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 26 | 54°F | 34°F | 33% | 18% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 27 | 55°F | 34°F | 33% | 18% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 28 | 55°F | 34°F | 33% | 19% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 29 | 56°F | 35°F | 34% | 19% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 30 | 56°F | 35°F | 34% | 19% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 31 | 56°F | 35°F | 34% | 19% | 12 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 49°FMarch average
- Normal low
- 30°FMarch average
- Precipitation
- 2.17 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 4.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 19
- Daylight
- 11 h 10 min to 12 h 40 minMarch 1 to March 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 3
- Sunshine
- 70%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 March?
On a given March day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around March 31 (34%). In all, 2.17 in falls on 10 days of a normal March, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal March in Des Moines, 19 nights fall to freezing, 3 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 4.4 inches.
Snow falls on 3 days in a normal March, and an inch or more covers the ground on 5 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014933.
How humid and windy is Des Moines in March?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 55°F with 44% relative humidity and a dew point of 33°F; at 6 a.m. it is 39°F with 75% humidity. The wind averages 11.3 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 39°F | 32°F | 75% | 9.6 mph | 35% |
| 9 a.m. | 44°F | 33°F | 64% | 12.1 mph | 34% |
| noon | 51°F | 33°F | 49% | 13.6 mph | 27% |
| 3 p.m. | 55°F | 33°F | 44% | 14.1 mph | 27% |
| 6 p.m. | 52°F | 32°F | 47% | 12.3 mph | 26% |
| 9 p.m. | 47°F | 33°F | 58% | 10.0 mph | 43% |
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 March in Des Moines?
The warmest March temperature on Des Moines's official record (since 1878) is 91°F, on March 29, 1986; the coldest is −22°F, on March 1, 1962. The wettest March brought 5.82 in (1990); the snowiest, 28.0 inches (1912).
The March mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 39.4°F: 2021 44.9°F (+5.5), 2022 39.0°F (−0.4), 2023 37.6°F (−1.8), 2024 44.9°F (+5.5), 2025 46.0°F (+6.6), 2026 46.5°F (+7.1). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| March | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44.9°F | +5.5°F | 2.58 in |
| 2022 | 39.0°F | −0.4°F | 3.45 in |
| 2023 | 37.6°F | −1.8°F | 1.33 in |
| 2024 | 44.9°F | +5.5°F | 2.38 in |
| 2025 | 46.0°F | +6.6°F | 2.67 in |
| 2026 | 46.5°F | +7.1°F | 2.31 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DSMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014933. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does March in Des Moines compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, March normal highs run from 38°F in Northwood to 52°F in Shenandoah; Des Moines's is 49°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.