Des Moines Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

How Often it Snows in Des Moines

The next two tables list monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).

10-year snowfall averages at Des Moines, 2010 to 2019

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
2.3	January	8.6	21.9
4.7	February	13.9	35.3
1.6	March	3.9	9.8
0.1	April	0.4	1.0
0.2	May	0.7	1.8
0.1	October	0.2	0.6
0.5	November	2.2	5.7
1.8	December	6.5	16.6
11.3	Year	36.5	92.8

30-year snowfall averages at Des Moines, 1991 to 2020

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
6.9	January	9.4	23.9
6.3	February	10.2	25.9
3.1	March	4.4	11.2
1.0	April	1.2	3.0
0.1	May	0.2	0.5
0.5	October	0.5	1.3
1.8	November	2.7	6.9
5.6	December	7.9	20.1
25.3	Year	36.5	92.7

These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Des Moines varies from year to year.

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 11.7 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive two inches or less for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 11.7 inches, while the lightest years get at most six inches.

New snow for February ranges from over 14.2 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 4.4 inches in light years.

When Des Moines Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of winter for Des Moines usually arrives in November. Less commonly, snow can land in October or hold off until December.

The season's last snowfall most often happens in April, but can vary from March to May.

Des Moines is normally free of snow every year from June to September.

How Many Snowstorms Des Moines Gets

Most days of snowfall in Des Moines leave just a skiff, amounting to less than an inch, of fresh snow on the ground. For 11 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day typically occur once or twice a year. They can arrive anytime from November to March. These storms rarely amount to major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day.

Number of days per month and year on average in Des Moines with a total snowfall of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches

1 inch 2.5 cm	3 inches 7.6 cm		5 inches 12.7 cm	10 inches 25.4 cm
2.7	1.0	January	0.4	0.0
3.2	1.2	February	0.5	0.0
1.2	0.4	March	0.1	0.1
0.4	0.1	April	0.0	0.0
0.1	0.1	May	0.0	0.0
0.2	0.0	October	0.0	0.0
0.8	0.3	November	0.1	0.0
2.4	0.8	December	0.5	0.0
11.0	3.9	Year	1.6	0.1

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Des Moines

For about half of winter days, Des Moines has at least an inch of snow on the ground.

Typically on four or five days in each year, the snow covering Des Moines builds up to ten or more inches deep. The snowpack normally doesn't reach twenty inches.

Average total days per month and year in Des Moines with snow depth of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches on the ground

1 inch 2.5 cm	3 inches 7.6 cm		5 inches 12.7 cm	10 inches 25.4 cm
18.3	12.6	January	7.8	1.2
15.0	10.4	February	6.9	1.8
5.4	3.2	March	1.6	0.4
0.6	0.2	April	0.1	0.0
0.1	0.1	May	0.0	0.0
0.3	0.1	October	0.0	0.0
2.1	0.8	November	0.4	0.0
10.2	6.9	December	4.3	0.9
52.0	34.3	Year	21.1	4.3