Holiday weather history: Des Moines, IA
What Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve have actually been like at the Des Moines weather station over 31 years (1995–2025). For this year's forecast, check the National Weather Service forecast for this spot.
Quick answer for Halloween: typical high 54°F, low 36°F; rain or snow in 19% of years; dry and 50–80°F in 58%.
🎃 Halloween weather in Des Moines (Oct 31)
Warmest Halloween: 72°F (2008). Coldest high: 34°F (1996); coldest low 21°F (2023). Wettest: 0.33 in (1995); snowiest: 0.2 in (2019). The median Halloween high was 56°F in 1995–2009 and 54°F in 2010–2025 (-2°F; single-day values swing a lot, so treat this as a hint, not a trend).
| Year | Date | High | Low | Precip | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10-31 | 51°F | 34°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2024 | 10-31 | 60°F | 35°F | 0.05 in | 0 |
| 2023 | 10-31 | 38°F | 21°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2022 | 10-31 | 67°F | 40°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2021 | 10-31 | 52°F | 34°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2020 | 10-31 | 67°F | 38°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2019 | 10-31 | 42°F | 24°F | 0.01 in | 0.2 in |
| 2018 | 10-31 | 61°F | 41°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2017 | 10-31 | 36°F | 23°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2016 | 10-31 | 65°F | 47°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
🦃 Thanksgiving weather in Des Moines (4th Thursday of Nov)
Warmest Thanksgiving: 68°F (2012). Coldest high: 22°F (2014); coldest low 4°F (2014). Wettest: 0.98 in (2015); snowiest: 0.1 in (2019). The median Thanksgiving high was 46°F in 1995–2009 and 42°F in 2010–2025 (-4°F; single-day values swing a lot, so treat this as a hint, not a trend).
| Year | Date | High | Low | Precip | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11-27 | 34°F | 17°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2024 | 11-28 | 32°F | 18°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2023 | 11-23 | 43°F | 26°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2022 | 11-24 | 55°F | 34°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2021 | 11-25 | 30°F | 15°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2020 | 11-26 | 48°F | 32°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2019 | 11-28 | 33°F | 28°F | 0.01 in | 0.1 in |
| 2018 | 11-22 | 55°F | 28°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2017 | 11-23 | 54°F | 30°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2016 | 11-24 | 40°F | 38°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
🎄 Christmas Day weather in Des Moines (Dec 25)
Warmest Christmas Day: 60°F (2019). Coldest high: 5°F (1996); coldest low -12°F (2000). Wettest: 0.80 in (2023); snowiest: 3.4 in (2009). The median Christmas Day high was 33°F in 1995–2009 and 40°F in 2010–2025 (+7°F; single-day values swing a lot, so treat this as a hint, not a trend).
| Year | Date | High | Low | Precip | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12-25 | 45°F | 37°F | 0.03 in | 0 |
| 2024 | 12-25 | 36°F | 31°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2023 | 12-25 | 53°F | 32°F | 0.80 in | 0 |
| 2022 | 12-25 | 18°F | -2°F | 0.06 in | 0.6 in |
| 2021 | 12-25 | 48°F | 28°F | 0.02 in | 0 |
| 2020 | 12-25 | 30°F | 2°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2019 | 12-25 | 60°F | 35°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2018 | 12-25 | 45°F | 27°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2017 | 12-25 | 14°F | 3°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2016 | 12-25 | 53°F | 35°F | 0.53 in | 0 |
🎆 New Year's Eve weather in Des Moines (Dec 31)
Warmest New Year's Eve: 60°F (2011). Coldest high: -2°F (2017); coldest low -15°F (2017). Wettest: 1.12 in (2006); snowiest: 1.0 in (2006). The median New Year's Eve high was 33°F in 1995–2009 and 34°F in 2010–2025 (+0°F; single-day values swing a lot, so treat this as a hint, not a trend).
| Year | Date | High | Low | Precip | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12-31 | 47°F | 25°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2024 | 12-31 | 34°F | 29°F | 0.07 in | 0.2 in |
| 2023 | 12-31 | 31°F | 26°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2022 | 12-31 | 45°F | 27°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2021 | 12-31 | 29°F | 11°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2020 | 12-31 | 27°F | 19°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2019 | 12-31 | 35°F | 22°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
| 2018 | 12-31 | 35°F | 20°F | 0.11 in | 0 |
| 2017 | 12-31 | -2°F | -15°F | 0.04 in | 0.9 in |
| 2016 | 12-31 | 39°F | 22°F | 0.00 in | 0 |
More for Des Moines: first snow & white Christmas odds · earliest sunset.
Station: GHCN-Daily USW00014933 (41.534, -93.653). Precip is the 24-hour station total for the day, so rain may have fallen outside party hours.