Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Des Moines, Washington Weather

Fireweed Ignites. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Des Moines weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Des Moines, WA
Saturday, July 4 at 11:56 AM
61
°
Overcast
Feels like
60°
Humidity
75%
Wind
6 mph
Sunrise
10:18 PM
Sunset
2:08 PM
Des Moines, WA
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastDes Moines, WA: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 54 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 54°H 71°
Des Moines, WA
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Overcast
    —
    —
    71°56°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    73°54°+2°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Overcast
    —
    —
    85°52°+12°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Overcast
    —
    —
    85°52°0°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Light Drizzle
    —
    0.01″
    70°58°-15°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Overcast
    —
    —
    79°51°+9°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Clear
    —
    —
    85°52°+6°
Des Moines, WA
Next 24 hours · Cool now
50°63°76°6a12p6p12anow 60°high 71°low 54°
Des Moines, WA
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
SW
231° · backing 19°
Direction
SW
231°
Sustained
6
mph
Gust
8
mph
Peak 24h
10
avg 5
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 5 · pk 10 @ 6:00a
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 208SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Des Moines, WA
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
1015.1
+0.3 mb in 3h · steady · 29.98 inHg
Now
1015.1
mb
3h
+0.3
mb
12h
+2.4
mb
24h
+1.3
mb
Regime · CHANGE
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 1012–1015
9951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW1014.71012.11014.6
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Air sits at the threshold — small shifts decide the day.
Des Moines, WA
Air quality
22
AQI
Good
→+2 in 6h

AQI 22 (Good), driven by Ozone. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points).

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5Good
3.3μg/m³
PM 10Good
5μg/m³
NO₂Good
1μg/m³
OzoneDRIVERGood
44μg/m³
UV IndexModerate
4.3

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SATSUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³300
Des Moines, WA
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
100%
OVERCAST
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
39.5mi
UNLIMITED
71 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
18:56 UTC · Des Moines, WA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
18:56 UTC · Des Moines, WA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Des Moines, WA
Satellite · infrared · animated
Des Moines, WA
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Des Moines, WA
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
4:39 AM
Sunrise
10:18 PM
Daylight
15h 50m
Sunset
2:08 PM
Civil dusk
9:49 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Des Moines, WA
The moon
Waning Gibbous
79% illuminated
Moonrise
11:17 PM
Moonset
10:12 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Des Moines, WA
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Fireweed Ignites

fish
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Des Moines at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 3°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: May 30 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

16-Day Forecast — Des Moines

  1. Sat71°56°3%
  2. Sun73°54°0%
  3. Mon85°52°0%
  4. Tue85°52°1%
  5. Wed70°58°8%
  6. Thu79°51°8%
  7. Fri85°52°3%
  8. Sat88°55°9%
  9. Sun91°62°5%
  10. Mon94°60°5%
  11. Tue88°58°5%
  12. Wed79°54°3%
  13. Thu93°56°0%
  14. Fri95°62°3%
  15. Sat99°63°0%
  16. Sun93°65°0%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of July 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

January 1–5: The Year's Deep Silence.January 6–10: The First Pressure Shift.January 11–15: The Lengthening.January 16–20: The Crows Begin.January 21–25: Skunk Cabbage Wakens.January 26–31: The Fog Deepens.February 1–5: The Sap Stirs.February 6–10: East Wind Weakens the Marine Layer.February 11–15: Thrush Song at First Light.February 16–20: The Salmon Remember.February 21–25: The Soil Awakens.February 26–28: Mist Begins to Linger.March 1–5: The Buds Emerge.March 6–10: The Small Lives Stir.March 11–15: The Spring Salmon Peak.March 16–20: Alder Catkins Dust the Air.March 21–25: Equinox Fog Clears.March 26–31: Salmonberry First Bloom.April 1–5: Thunder Rolls Down the Valleys.April 6–10: Swallows Arrive at the Bridges.April 11–15: Geese Turn Their Faces North.April 16–20: Rainbows Arc Above the Cascades.April 21–25: Reeds Rise from the Wetlands.April 26–30: Frost Releases the Garden.May 1–5: Warblers Flood the Canopy.May 6–10: Frogs Sing at Twilight.May 11–15: Earthworms Rise to Feed the Forest.May 16–20: Shoots and Sprouts Rise in Ranks.May 21–25: Silkworm Days—Full Canopy.May 26–31: Safflower Days—Late May Blooms.June 1–5: Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive.June 6–10: Oceanspray Towers.June 11–15: Solstice Light Crests.June 16–20: Thimbleberry Sweetens.June 21–25: Summer Solstice Stillness.June 26–30: Dry Pattern Deepens.July 1–5: Fireweed Ignites.July 6–10: Peak Hummingbird Wars.July 11–15: Red Huckleberry Ripens.July 16–20: Smoke Season Beckons.July 21–25: Dog Days Hold.July 26–31: Smoke Deepens.August 1–5: August Arrives Dimmed.August 6–10: Cool Wind Hints Return.August 11–15: Cicadas Crescendo.August 16–20: Marine layer deepens.August 21–25: First sweater morning.August 26–31: August snap arrives.September 1–5: Rivers quicken with silver.September 6–10: Dew settles thick.September 11–15: Raptors funnel through passes.September 16–20: Equinox—darkness gains.September 21–25: Fog locks the valleys.September 26–30: Geese stage southward.October 1–5: Mushroom flush deepens.October 6–10: Maples ignite orange.October 11–15: Frost's first mark.October 16–20: Oaks turn russet.October 21–25: First killing frost.October 26–31: Atmospheric rivers arrive.November 1–5: Maple and ivy turn to amber.November 6–10: Last leaves cling in quiet rain.November 11–15: First frost finds the lowlands.November 16–20: Bare branches open the winter sky.November 21–25: Heavy rains mask the stars.November 26–30: North wind clears the gloom.December 1–5: Darkness settles early.December 6–10: Winter cold locks the sky.December 11–15: The days reach their minimum.December 16–20: Ice forms at the margins.December 21–25: The sun turns at solstice.December 26–31: Year's end in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · July 1–5

Fireweed Ignites

Magenta fireweed spires surge from burned and cleared slopes, their blooms climbing from base upward. July's signature color claims the disturbed ground.

Day 185 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

In Des Moines, August runs warmest near 67°F and January coldest around 38°F, while November is the wettest month (7.9 inches) and July the driest (0.5 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January38°7.5″23
February40°5.5″20
March43°5.6″23
April48°4.1″20
May55°3.1″19
June60°2.4″16
July66°0.5″7
August67°0.9″6
September60°2.4″12
October51°6.2″19
November44°7.9″23
December38°7.5″24

Regional context

By the nearest station's NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Des Moines sees 38°F Januarys and 66°F Julys, a 28°F range, plus around 53.6 inches of precipitation across 211 days.

Precipitation in Des Moines peaks in the cool season: November averages 7.9 inches across 22.6 storm-fed days, while July bottoms out at 0.5 inches over just 6.8 rainy days. It is a winter-storm rhythm Des Moines shares with places like Normandy Park, WA, SeaTac, WA and Lakeland North, WA.

By late-May the frosts ease in Des Moines, opening the season for peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Warm-soil crops in Des Moines wait about two weeks past Des Moines's last frost, once the soil warms. Around early-October, freezing nights resume in Des Moines and tender crops must come in. Within Des Moines, cold-air pooling chills low spots by 5-10°F, shifting Des Moines's local frost dates.

Similar climates: Normandy Park, WA, SeaTac, WA, Lakeland North, WA, Kent, WA, Federal Way, WA.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Des Moines?
Frost typically leaves Des Moines by mid-May and returns to Des Moines near mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Des Moines?
Rainfall in Des Moines peaks in November near 7.9 inches, out of about 54 inches annually.
What is the warmest month in Des Moines?
Des Moines peaks in August, when the mean runs near 67°F.
What is the coldest month in Des Moines?
January is Des Moines's coldest month, averaging about 38°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Des Moines?
In Des Moines, sow peas and hardy greens around mid-May; Des Moines's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
How many rainy days does Des Moines get?
Expect roughly 211 wet days a year in Des Moines.
What hardiness zone is Des Moines?
Because Des Moines bottoms near 38°F in January, that winter low sets Des Moines's USDA zone — verify by ZIP.
What is the 10-day forecast for Des Moines?
Des Moines's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Des Moines?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Des Moines in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Des Moines?
Current conditions for Des Moines and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Des Moines forecast updated?
The Des Moines forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Des Moines?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Des Moines are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Des Moines?
The next few days in Des Moines's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Set in a warm-summer Mediterranean zone, Des Moines, Washington swings from 38°F in the heart of winter to 66°F at midsummer — a 28°F arc.

In a typical year Des Moines records about 54 inches of precipitation on around 211 days.

Des Moines's 28°F range, set by its 47.4°N position, drives frost timing and what thrives in Des Moines.

All cities in Washington →

Tacoma, WA weather →

ZIP codes in Des Moines

  • 98148
  • 98198

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.