Des Moines (IA) Sunshine Hours by Month

Sunshine plays a big role in understanding the climate of a city. This page shows the total number of hours of direct sunlight per month and the average hours per day in Des Moines, Iowa, United States of America. This average is based on long-term data collected between 1990 and 2020.

Monthly hours of sunshine

Sunshine in Des Moines varies greatly throughout the year. The sunniest month, July, reaches an impressive 335 hours, while December, the darkest month, offers only 129 hours. The total annual amount of sun is 2700 hours.

Daily hours of sunshine

This means the city can be enjoyed more throughout the sunniest month of July under a blue sky, with approximately 11.2 hours of sunshine daily. In contrast, the city experiences much darker days in December, with only 4.3 hours of sunlight per day.

Average percent of sunshine

On average the sun shines 72% of the time during the day in July, the highest percentage of any month. December has the lowest percentage at 45%.

Des Moines enjoys an average of 2700 hours of sunshine annually. Let’s compare this with some popular tourist destinations:

The city of Rome, Italy, experiences 2470 hours of sunshine annually, adding to its charm as a year-round tourist destination.

In contrast, Juneau, Alaska, receives only about 1523 hours of sunshine per year and is known for its very short days in winter and frequently overcast conditions.

The climate in San Francisco, USA, includes 3072 hours of sunshine annually, thanks to its mild coastal weather.

Adelaide, Australia, enjoys 2770 hours of sunshine annually, with long, sunny summers.

June, Des Moines’s wettest month, receives 106 mm (4.2 in) of rainfall and has a maximum daytime temperature of 28°C (82°F). During the driest month January you can expect a temperature of -1°C (30°F).

For more detailed insights into the city’s temperatures, check out our Temperature page. To explore more about precipitation patterns, visit our Des Moines Precipitation page.