Des Moines weather in May: Des Moines, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Des Moines in May has a normal high of 72°F and a normal low of 52°F, a daily mean of 62°F, rising from 67°F on the 1st to 78°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 5.24 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 22°C and low of 11°C, 133 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in May.
- 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 May?
The normal high is 72°F and the normal low 52°F, for a daily mean of 62.4°F. May is 11.1°F warmer than April and 9.8°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Des Moines and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 67°F on May 1 to 78°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 60°F and 65°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 41%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 67°F | 46°F | 40% | 27% |
| May 8 | 70°F | 49°F | 40% | 27% |
| May 15 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 27% |
| May 22 | 75°F | 55°F | 41% | 28% |
| May 31 | 78°F | 58°F | 41% | 27% |
Every day of May: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon May 31, coldest night May 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 67°F | 46°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 68°F | 47°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 68°F | 47°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 68°F | 48°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 69°F | 48°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 69°F | 48°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 69°F | 49°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 70°F | 49°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 9 | 70°F | 50°F | 40% | 28% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 70°F | 50°F | 40% | 28% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 71°F | 50°F | 40% | 28% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 71°F | 51°F | 40% | 28% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 13 | 71°F | 51°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 73°F | 53°F | 40% | 28% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 73°F | 53°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 74°F | 54°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 74°F | 54°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 74°F | 54°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 75°F | 55°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 23 | 75°F | 55°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 24 | 75°F | 56°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 76°F | 56°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 26 | 76°F | 56°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 76°F | 57°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 77°F | 57°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 29 | 77°F | 57°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 77°F | 58°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 31 | 78°F | 58°F | 41% | 27% | 15 h |
- Normal high
- 72°FMay average
- Normal low
- 52°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 5.24 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.2 inmonth total
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 hMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 20
- Days at 80°F or more
- 8
- Sunshine
- 72%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 May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 40% on average, highest around May 26 (41%). In all, 5.24 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 2 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Des Moines, 1 days reach 90°F and snowfall averages 0.2 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014933.
How humid and windy is Des Moines in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 75°F with 51% relative humidity and a dew point of 56°F; at 6 a.m. it is 61°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 8.9 mph, most often from the south-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 61°F | 55°F | 82% | 7.3 mph | 29% |
| 9 a.m. | 68°F | 56°F | 67% | 10.0 mph | 33% |
| noon | 73°F | 56°F | 55% | 11.2 mph | 23% |
| 3 p.m. | 75°F | 56°F | 51% | 11.6 mph | 27% |
| 6 p.m. | 74°F | 55°F | 53% | 10.3 mph | 33% |
| 9 p.m. | 68°F | 56°F | 65% | 7.6 mph | 44% |
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 May in Des Moines?
The warmest May temperature on Des Moines's official record (since 1878) is 105°F, on May 30, 1934; the coldest is 26°F, on May 4, 1907. The wettest May brought 12.13 in (1996); the snowiest, 6.9 inches (2013).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 62.4°F: 2021 60.8°F (−1.6), 2022 63.8°F (+1.4), 2023 65.9°F (+3.5), 2024 65.6°F (+3.2), 2025 61.5°F (−0.9), 2026 63.8°F (+1.4). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 60.8°F | −1.6°F | 2.81 in |
| 2022 | 63.8°F | +1.4°F | 2.97 in |
| 2023 | 65.9°F | +3.5°F | 3.36 in |
| 2024 | 65.6°F | +3.2°F | 6.05 in |
| 2025 | 61.5°F | −0.9°F | 5.37 in |
| 2026 | 63.8°F | +1.4°F | 2.53 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DSMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014933. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Des Moines compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, May normal highs run from 66°F in Northwood to 74°F in Glenwood; Des Moines's is 72°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.