How Much Fell
Method and accuracyMethod

How much rain and snow fell in Des Moines, Iowa?

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No rain fell in Des Moines in the last 24 hours (to 3 PM CDT, Oct 11). Past 7 days: 0.76 in. This year: 37.87 in (120 percent of normal).

Yesterday and last night (24 hours to 7 AM CDT, Oct 10): no rain.

0.00
inches
of rain

In the 24 hours to 3:00 PM CDT, Sunday, October 11, 2026

radar estimate

  • Estimated from weather radar (NOAA)?. Usually within 10 to 15 percent of what a rain gauge? in your yard would catch.
  • New snow: 0.0 in in the last 24 hours and not measured this season (NOAA snow estimate)

Compared with normal

  • Last 7 days0.27 in wetter than normal (normal 0.49 in, Oct 5 to 11, Des Moines International Airport, 1991 to 2020)1991 to 2020 average (the official normal), NOAA station records, Des Moines International Airport
  • This month0.08 in drier than normal (normal 0.83 in, Oct 1 to 11, Des Moines International Airport, 1991 to 2020)1991 to 2020 average, NOAA station records, Des Moines International Airport
  • This year6.32 in wetter than normal (normal 31.55 in, Jan 1 to Oct 11, Des Moines International Airport, 1991 to 2020)1991 to 2020 average, NOAA station records, Des Moines International Airport

Will this match my gauge? Each day here ends at 7:00 AM CDT, close to when volunteers read their rain gauges (about 7 AM). How close we usually are

Des Moines dryWest Des Moines dryAmes dryDes Moines dryAnkeny dryWest Des Moines dryAmes dry
Rain, inches
0.01
0.10
0.25
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
3.00
4.00
6.00+
Rain in the 24 hours to 3 PM Sunday, Oct 11. Radar estimate from NOAA.
Labels: Des Moines and nearby towns within 40 miles, in inches. Cut from the state map.

The most rain in a day in Des Moines since November 2, 2024, and the 1000th wettest day at Des Moines International Airport since 1945, tied with 25 other days.

NOAA station records · Des Moines International Airport (USW00014933), 3.5 mi away · 999 wetter days out of 29,060 on record, 25 tied days. This storm: Oct 9 to Oct 9, 0.75 in of rain; its biggest day, Oct 9, was 0.75 in.

The last 14 days

Sep 27 to Oct 10, 2026

Rain, inches (radar estimate)

  1. 0.19
  2. 0.00
  3. 0.00
  4. 0.57
  5. 0.59
  6. 0.00
  7. 0.00
  8. 0.00
  9. 0.00
  10. 0.00
  11. 0.00
  12. 0.00
  13. 0.75
  14. 0.00

Each bar is one day ending 7:00 AM CDT. T = a trace, too little to measure; n/m = not measured.? Every value is printed, so the chart reads without color.

October 2026, day by day

Tap a day to see its total
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Tap a day for its total.

Figures: rain, inches (radar estimate); new snow, inches (NOAA snow estimate). Striped days are not measured or not in the data; days marked not yet are after the latest day. Each day ends 7:00 AM CDT.

Total for a date range

Loading the total.

Rain goes back to Oct 14, 2020; snow to Oct 1, 2008. Days labeled by the date they end.

Every rain total for Des Moines

PeriodRain
Last 24 hours, to 3:00 PM CDT Oct 110.00 in radar estimate
Last 72 hours0.75 in radar estimate
Last 7 days0.76 in radar estimate
This month so far0.75 in radar estimate
This year, 2026 so far37.87 in radar estimate

Every snow total

PeriodNew snow
Last 24 hours0.0 in NOAA snow estimate
Last 72 hours0.0 in NOAA snow estimate
Last 7 daysnot measured
This month so farnot measured
This season so farnot measured

How months count

Des Moines at a glance

Des Moines is in Iowa, at about 792 ft above sea level at its Census center point and had an estimated 213,096 residents in 2024.

The weather station's records since 1945 come from Des Moines International Airport, 3.5 miles away.

The wettest day on record at Des Moines International Airport was 6.18 in on August 27, 1975; the biggest snow day was 13.7 in on January 26, 1996.

From Sep 27 to Oct 10, Des Moines had measurable rain on 4 days out of 14 with data, 2.10 in of rain in all, by weather radar. The wettest day was Fri, Oct 9, with 0.75 in.

Nearby Iowa towns

TownFrom Des Moines24 hours7 days
West Des Moines rain totals (9.0 mi)9.0 mi west0.00 in0.45 in
Urbandale rain totals (9.8 mi)9.8 mi northwest0.00 in0.29 in
Johnston rain totals (10.1 mi)10.1 mi northwest0.00 in0.67 in
Ankeny rain totals (10.9 mi)10.9 mi north0.00 in0.94 in
Waukee rain totals (14.1 mi)14.1 mi west0.00 in0.38 in
Ames rain totals (31.4 mi)31.4 mi north0.00 in1.37 in

Rain totals are estimated from weather radar (NOAA). Distance is in a straight line between Census center points.

Nearby rain gauges (read by volunteers)

3 closest
Rain gaugeDistanceRead atMelted to waterNew snowSnow depth
Des Moines 4.1 N
Station IA-PK-73. Read at 7:00 AM on October 11, 2026.
4.4 mi7:00 AM0.00 in0.0 innot reported
Des Moines 4.5 WNW
Station IA-PK-3. Read at 7:00 AM on October 11, 2026.
5.0 mi7:00 AM0.00 in0.0 innot reported
Johnston 1.7 S
Station IA-PK-144. Read at 9:00 AM on October 11, 2026.
7.8 mi9:00 AM0.00 in0.0 innot reported

Volunteer gauge reports: CoCoRaHS (cocorahs.org), CC BY 3.0. Measured by hand once a day; report date October 11, 2026. Shown as measured, not edited.

How close? Radar rain estimates are usually within about 10 to 15 percent of a rain gauge in your yard. City snow totals are usually within about 25 percent or 1 inch of what volunteers measure. Method and accuracy