WETTESTSINCE.COMBrowse statesThe AlmanacYear in ReviewThe Wire
WET5
Wettest Since
National Rainfall Records
WETTESTSINCE
Iowa · precipitation record 1878–2026

Des Moines, IA

THIS YEAR · 2026
WETTEST THIS YEAR SINCE 2019
31.73in
9th wettest of 148 years · normal 22.32"
📖 Des Moines's full Precipitation Almanac →

Accumulation

TODAY
0.0in
no rain yet of 148 yrs
MONTH TO DATE
5.48in
18th wettest of 149 yrs
229% of normal
LAST 90 DAYS
18.82in
12th wettest of 148 yrs
165% of normal
YEAR TO DATE
31.73in
9th wettest of 148 yrs
142% of normal

Extremes & Streaks

Biggest Day on Record

6.18in
on Aug 27, 1975 · in 149 years

Dry Streak

8days
current run under 0.01" · longest ever 45 days (to Nov 15, 1952)

Wet Streak

0days
consecutive days with rain · longest ever 12 days

Year to Date vs Normal

142%
31.73" of a normal 22.32" · wettest 42.61" (2010) · driest 11.06" (1934)

Wettest & Driest Years

The extremes of a 147-year record (1879–2025) — full calendar-year totals. The long-run average is 32.73" a year.

Wettest Years on Record

1188156.81in
2199355.88in
3201051.77in
4200849.42in
5201949.35in

Driest Years on Record

1195617.07in
2191018.24in
3193019.57in
4193319.67in
5190119.77in

Rainfall by Month

The seasonal rhythm — each month's normal precipitation, with this year's totals in blue. Where the blue bar clears the band, the month ran wetter than usual.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Normal (median)This year
Normally wettest in May (~3.97") and driest in Jan (~0.98"). Wettest calendar month ever: Jun 1881, 15.79".

This Day in History · Rainfall

Every year's rainfall on each of the next 7 dates at Des Moines — toggle a day below. The tallest bar (ringed) is the wettest on record for that date.

Wettest Aug 24 ever

2.13in
set in 1882

Rain on Aug 24

29%
of 148 years had measurable rain
1878: 0.27″1879: 0.00″1880: 0.63″1881: 0.09″1882: 2.13″1883: 0.00″1884: 0.45″1885: 1.06″1886: 0.00″1887: 0.00″1888: 0.00″1889: 0.00″1890: 0.05″1891: 0.00″1892: 1.44″1893: 0.02″1894: 0.00″1895: 0.00″1896: 0.00″1897: 0.00″1898: 0.00″1899: 0.43″1900: 1.00″1901: 0.00″1902: 0.00″1903: 0.00″1904: 0.00″1905: 1.00″1906: 0.01″1907: 0.00″1908: 0.00″1909: 0.00″1910: 0.00″1911: 0.00″1912: 0.03″1913: 0.00″1914: 0.00″1915: 0.00″1916: 0.00″1917: 0.00″1918: 0.00″1919: 0.11″1920: 0.00″1921: 0.00″1922: 0.00″1923: 0.00″1924: 0.39″1925: 0.00″1926: 0.00″1927: 0.00″1928: 0.00″1929: 0.00″1930: 0.00″1931: 0.18″1932: 0.00″1933: 0.00″1934: 0.00″1935: 0.00″1936: 0.00″1937: 0.00″1938: 0.00″1939: 0.00″1940: 1.37″1941: 0.00″1942: 0.00″1943: 0.16″1944: 0.00″1945: 0.00″1946: 1.08″1947: 0.00″1948: 0.00″1949: 0.00″1950: 0.00″1951: 0.91″1952: 0.00″1953: 0.00″1954: 0.43″1955: 0.00″1956: 0.00″1957: 0.00″1958: 0.00″1959: 1.05″1960: 0.48″1961: 0.00″1962: 0.46″1963: 0.00″1964: 1.01″1965: 0.09″1966: 0.00″1967: 0.00″1968: 0.02″1969: 0.00″1970: 0.00″1971: 0.00″1972: 0.03″1973: 0.00″1974: 0.00″1975: 1.30″1976: 0.00″1977: 0.00″1978: 0.04″1979: 0.00″1980: 0.00″1981: 0.00″1982: 0.03″1983: 0.14″1984: 0.00″1985: 0.09″1986: 0.00″1987: 0.13″1988: 0.00″1989: 0.00″1990: 0.00″1991: 0.00″1992: 0.00″1993: 0.00″1994: 0.00″1995: 0.00″1996: 0.00″1997: 0.00″1998: 0.00″1999: 0.00″2000: 0.00″2001: 0.30″2002: 0.00″2003: 0.00″2004: 0.49″2005: 0.00″2006: 0.00″2007: 0.62″2008: 0.00″2009: 0.00″2010: 0.01″2011: 0.00″2012: 0.00″2013: 0.00″2014: 0.00″2015: 0.00″2016: 0.70″2017: 0.07″2018: 0.07″2019: 0.00″2020: 0.00″2021: 0.00″2022: 0.04″2023: 0.00″2024: 0.00″2025: 0.00″0″1″2″3″188018901900191019201930194019501960197019801990200020102020

This Year's Rainfall

Des Moines's cumulative rainfall so far this year against its own record — the normal accumulation, and the wettest & driest years to date. The bright line is the running total; where it rides the band tells the story at a glance.
Des Moines, IA — cumulative rainfall this year vs the record
Download year chart

Rainfall Calendar

Des Moines's entire daily record as one heatmap — each row a year, each cell a day, shaded by that day's rainfall. Dry spells read as dark blocks, wet seasons as brighter bands; the whole climate at a glance.
Des Moines, IA — daily rainfall every day on record
Download calendar

Sun & Location

Sun & Daylight Today

Sunrise5:33 AM
Sunset6:59 PM
Solar noon12:16 PM
Daylight13h 26m
Local standard time (no DST), level horizon.

Location

41.53°N, 93.65°W

Nearby Stations

Waterloo, IA95 mi NECedar Rapids, IA102 mi EOmaha, NE117 mi WSpencer, IA138 mi NWBurlington, IA141 mi ESioux City, IA152 mi W

Share Card

Des Moines, IA precipitation share card