2001 Des Moines, Iowa (DSM)

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2001 DES MOINES, IOWA (DSM)

Located in the heart of North America, Des Moines has a climate which is continental in character. This results in a marked seasonal contrast in both temperature and precipitation. There is a gently rolling terrain in and around the Des Moines metropolitan area. Drainage of the area is generally to the southeast to the Des Moines River and its tributaries.

Since agriculture and services for it are the mainstay of the area, it is convenient to separate the year into arbitrary seasons corresponding to the growing seasons of the principal crops of the section. The winter season, when most plant life is dormant, is from mid–November to late March. The summer season, when corn and soybeans can be grown, lasts from early May to early October. The spring growing season, including part of the growing season of oats and forage crops, and the fall harvest season, each runs about 6 weeks. There is a large variation in annual precipitation from a minimum of about 17 inches to a maximum of about 56 inches. The average annual snowfall is 32 inches. Annual variation of snowfall is also large, ranging from a minimum of about 8 inches to as much as 72 inches.

The winter is a season of cold dry air, interrupted by occasional storms of short duration. At the beginning and the end of the season, the precipitation may occur as rain, but during the major portion of the season it falls as snow. Drifting snow may be extensive and impede transportation. The average precipitation for this season is approximately 20 percent of the annual amount. Although occasional cold waves follow the storms, bitterly cold days on which the temperatures fail to rise above zero occur on an average of only 3 days in 4 years.

The average growing season with temperatures above 32 degrees normally spans 160 to 165 days between late April and mid–October. The growing season is characterized by prevailing southerly winds and precipitation falling primarily as showers and thunderstorms, occasionally with damaging wind, erosive downpours or hail. Some 60 percent of the annual precipitation falls during the crop season with the maximum rate normally in late May and June. The autumn is characteristically sunny with diminishing precipitation, a condition favorable for drying and harvesting crops.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

DES MOINES, IA (DSM)

LATITUDE:    LONGITUDE:    ELEVATION (FT):    TIME ZONE:    WBAN: 14933

41 32′ 16″ N  93 39′58″W  GRND: 968  BARO: 971  CENTRAL (UTC + 6)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3028.133.746.961.873.082.286.784.275.664.348.032.659.8
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM5628.934.646.161.372.481.786.083.974.464.747.333.659.6
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM626573919398103105108101958169108
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198919721986198019671988195519831939196319991984AUG 1983
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.5651.256.872.983.387.793.597.095.789.583.668.356.978.0
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM3010.715.627.640.051.561.266.563.654.542.729.916.140.0
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM5611.416.927.239.851.261.165.963.753.343.129.317.440.0
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM62-24-26-22930384740014-4-22-26
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE197019961962197519671945197119501996197219911989FEB 1996
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.56-11.6-5.27.223.536.448.055.052.037.026.111.0-4.422.9
NORMAL DRY BULB3019.424.737.350.962.371.876.673.965.153.539.024.449.9
MEAN DRY BULB5620.225.736.550.461.871.375.973.964.053.938.325.549.8
MEAN WET BULB1620.825.234.144.555.464.268.563.254.747.034.323.844.6
MEAN DEW POINT1615.919.727.437.049.355.964.859.850.341.228.819.439.1
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.00.0*0.20.54.510.07.11.80.10.00.024.2
MAXIMUM 323017.413.04.60.20.00.00.00.00.00.03.114.452.7
MINIMUM 323030.025.620.76.60.20.00.00.00.24.718.628.9135.5
MINIMUM 0308.34.00.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.24.116.8
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS3014141128859428165100117137278012596497
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS300005812143602877415001036
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3071716863636568707166717568
HOUR 00 LST3074767369707276797973757874
HOUR 06 LST3075787877777982858579797979
HOUR 12 LST3066656155545557585956636960
HOUR 18 LST3068666052525356586058667260
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE4851545756616872706662494659
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG (VISBY 1/4 MI)522.62.32.01.00.90.70.71.31.21.21.72.818.4
THUNDERSTORMS620.30.42.14.37.09.08.37.04.92.61.10.347.3
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE-SUNSET (OKTAS)04.8
MIDNIGHT-MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR11.01.06.03.010.0
PARTLY CLOUDY12.03.02.01.0
CLOUDY13.03.07.012.010.0
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE (IN)2729.1029.0929.0028.9028.9028.9029.0029.0029.0029.0129.0029.1029.00
MEAN SEA-LEVEL PRES. (IN)1630.1130.1230.0529.9429.9430.0129.9730.0130.0330.0530.0630.1330.03
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)4911.411.312.512.811.010.28.98.79.510.411.711.210.8
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)3032323232181818151818323218
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)643414551525349535246524053
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)30303129322202282929252822
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE200019991996199620002000200019982001199619982001JUN 2000
MAXIMUM 5-SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)652515364596861706057624770
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)33292928322101292828262829
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199619961996199620002000200019982001199619982001AUG 1998
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)300.961.112.333.363.664.463.784.203.532.621.791.3233.12
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)624.382.995.827.7612.1314.1910.5113.6810.197.296.523.4314.19
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE196019511990197619961947195819771961194119831982JUN 1947
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)620.040.130.170.231.231.020.040.250.410.030.030.030.03
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199719681994198519491992197519841950195219691998DEC 1998
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)622.971.772.423.803.235.505.146.184.472.813.351.696.18
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE196019611945197419961947195819751961194719521982AUG 1975
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.01307.77.210.110.711.510.29.69.19.28.07.68.8109.7
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.10.10.30.70.81.21.01.30.80.70.30.17.4
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)307.67.95.62.4T0.00.00.0T0.43.27.734.8
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)5722.321.318.815.60.2TT0.0T7.414.723.923.9
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19961962194819821944199319921992198019911961DEC 1961
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)5719.812.18.510.40.2TT0.0T7.411.811.019.8
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19421950195719731944199319921992198019681961JAN 1942
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)5116171812000005103030
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE2001197919601973198019681962DEC 1962
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0302.42.41.60.60.00.00.00.00.00.10.92.410.4
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 DES MOINES, IA (DSM)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19720.440.631.053.563.052.585.866.655.452.362.431.9636.02
19732.092.214.154.675.012.049.171.377.073.261.492.6545.18
19741.510.841.996.317.194.621.332.812.083.961.201.8335.67
19751.411.481.902.653.415.980.049.731.700.632.200.4831.61
19760.232.433.047.762.847.251.872.261.001.110.100.1230.01
19770.500.363.572.452.291.252.6313.682.825.100.691.8137.15
19780.281.270.904.573.492.742.953.106.391.143.161.3731.36
19791.720.524.233.232.505.782.965.070.973.231.430.2031.84
19801.800.641.150.861.945.561.527.241.031.900.451.0025.09
19810.250.970.392.002.465.025.766.322.302.062.631.1431.30
19822.630.783.305.035.792.597.005.252.943.442.623.4344.80
19831.171.953.723.803.933.652.443.013.875.546.521.5741.17
19840.990.821.655.855.587.816.220.252.766.281.162.4141.78
19850.641.983.370.231.563.722.042.835.423.751.651.3128.50
19860.121.762.925.664.357.083.904.526.413.890.990.9842.58
19870.421.382.992.923.752.105.0810.041.401.033.272.5936.97
19880.370.590.660.751.462.754.783.052.890.593.380.8422.11
19891.301.050.371.953.622.223.656.535.412.280.190.5729.14
19901.430.895.823.434.369.528.751.831.401.802.522.1843.93
19910.950.173.907.547.882.871.143.650.904.963.612.2039.77
19920.972.122.133.991.451.027.761.394.990.515.201.9833.51
19931.591.523.222.967.517.689.7512.245.791.701.060.8655.88
19941.221.710.172.711.765.294.302.813.111.021.682.4228.20
19950.980.682.756.046.292.884.361.043.121.241.570.0831.03
19962.990.571.382.1212.132.954.022.544.052.872.400.5238.54
19970.040.770.854.113.954.902.892.362.144.621.130.7728.53
19980.601.233.031.794.979.954.285.650.693.392.090.0337.70
19990.260.630.904.435.823.462.784.562.320.361.280.3527.15
20000.271.320.352.363.377.604.121.711.841.071.570.5626.14
20011.312.081.082.207.462.611.042.224.772.120.860.7028.45
POR=50 YRS1.101.151.962.984.324.663.463.653.242.381.601.1631.66
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) 2001 DES MOINES, IA (DSM)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197216.619.937.148.962.570.273.972.464.648.033.918.447.2
197322.027.745.649.259.873.676.476.965.759.040.722.151.6
197419.528.039.853.060.369.180.971.160.955.039.628.250.5
197522.722.429.746.965.972.377.977.161.857.243.529.950.6
197622.934.139.755.460.771.477.273.865.748.532.621.850.3
197710.129.844.758.569.574.781.072.166.552.339.123.251.8
197811.013.333.250.561.672.875.875.170.552.439.023.048.2
19797.513.835.247.061.170.974.574.366.854.338.031.647.9
198023.421.334.752.063.571.279.976.266.849.641.626.650.6
198125.729.842.757.660.472.976.172.466.051.742.825.552.0
19829.622.935.446.964.767.176.973.264.954.638.431.648.9
198327.332.339.445.458.473.280.983.367.752.640.79.850.9
198419.735.531.148.858.773.275.977.562.452.839.527.650.2
198515.822.242.055.265.168.476.571.964.852.630.013.448.2
198626.921.742.553.962.673.377.269.367.452.633.328.850.8
198726.635.742.754.666.874.778.572.165.248.243.130.053.2
198819.621.640.251.467.475.678.578.866.947.939.828.851.4
198932.515.437.152.361.068.977.173.362.254.136.016.948.9
199031.731.142.050.057.971.673.874.468.152.443.722.951.6
199116.833.542.553.666.774.876.173.765.052.530.930.651.4
199230.734.942.448.962.070.371.268.363.153.434.927.150.6
199321.321.534.147.161.069.073.873.859.250.436.428.448.0
199413.021.340.550.962.572.473.071.366.455.542.130.349.9
199520.828.839.847.458.971.076.479.163.252.933.326.049.8
199617.325.032.547.857.770.972.772.30.053.432.122.242.0
199717.527.640.045.955.972.175.672.166.453.734.528.849.2
199825.936.333.650.866.568.175.475.270.454.042.430.352.4
199920.235.238.751.461.370.779.772.462.953.747.429.952.0
200025.436.545.152.064.869.373.875.567.257.733.911.651.1
200123.620.332.256.261.770.678.075.263.552.249.832.451.3
POR=123 YRS20.725.236.850.661.671.276.173.864.953.838.426.049.9

REFERENCE NOTES:

PAGE 1:

THE TEMPERATURE GRAPH SHOWS NORMAL MAXIMUM AND NORMAL MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES (SOLID CURVES) AND THE ACTUAL DAILY HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES (VERTICAL BARS).

PAGE 2 AND 3:

H/C INDICATES HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

RH INDICATES RELATIVE HUMIDITY

W/O INDICATES WEATHER AND OBSTRUCTIONS

S INDICATES SUNSHINE.

PR INDICATES PRESSURE.

CLOUDINESS ON PAGE 3 IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT EIGHTHS (OKTAS).

GENERAL:

T INDICATES TRACE PRECIPITATION, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN ZERO BUT LESS THAN THE LOWEST REPORTABLE VALUE.

+ INDICATES THE VALUE ALSO OCCURS ON EARLIER DATES.

BLANK ENTRIES DENOTE MISSING OR UNREPORTED DATA.

NORMALS ARE 30–YEAR AVERAGES (1961–1990).

ASOS INDICATES AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM.

PM INDICATES THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

POR (PERIOD OF RECORD) BEGINS WITH THE JANUARY DATA MONTH AND IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS USED TO COMPUTE THE MEAN. INDIVIDUAL MONTHS WITHIN THE POR MAY BE MISSING.

WHEN THE POR FOR A NORMAL IS LESS THAN 30 YEARS, THE NORMAL IS PROVISIONAL AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS INDICATED.

0.* OR * INDICATES THE VALUE OR MEAN–DAYS–WITH IS BETWEEN 0.00 AND 0.05.

CLOUDINESS FOR ASOS STATIONS DIFFERS FROM THE NON–ASOS OBSERVATION TAKEN BY A HUMAN OBSERVER. ASOS STATION CLOUDINESS IS BASED ON TIME–AVERAGED CEILOMETER DATA FOR CLOUDS AT OR BELOW 12,000 FEET AND ON SATELLITE DATA FOR CLOUDS ABOVE 12,000 FEET.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH CLEAR, PARTLY CLOUDY, AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR ASOS STATIONS IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA FOR THE SUNRISE TO SUNSET PERIOD.

GENERAL CONTINUED:

CLEAR INDICATES 0–2 OKTAS, PARTLY CLOUDY INDICATES 3–6 OKTAS, AND CLOUDY INDICATES 7 OR 8 OKTAS. WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS (CEILOMETER OR SATELLITE) IS MISSING, THE DAILY CLOUDINESS IS NOT COMPUTED.

WIND DIRECTION IS RECORDED IN TENS OF DEGREES (2 DIGITS) CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH. "00" INDICATES CALM. "36" INDICATES TRUE NORTH.

RESULTANT WIND IS THE VECTOR AVERAGE OF THE SPEED AND DIRECTION.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE SUM OF THE MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIVIDED BY 2.

SNOWFALL DATA COMPRISE ALL FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING HAIL.

A HEATING (COOLING) DEGREE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AND 65 F.

DRY BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMBIENT AIR.

DEW POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE AIR MUST BE COOLED TO ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

WET BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE THE AIR WOULD HAVE IF THE MOISTURE CONTENT WAS INCREASED TO 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

ON JULY 1, 1996, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGAN USING THE "METAR" OBSERVATION CODE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPLOYED BY MOST OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ANNUAL PUBLICATION WILL BE THE CHANGE IN UNITS FROM TENTHS TO EIGHTS (OKTAS) FOR REPORTING THE AMOUNT OF SKY COVER.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 DES MOINES, IA (DSM)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-7371011252392514421326103959447017306621
1973-740068209719132514061033775363189206107
1974-75012168307755113113081185109053981116587
1975-76001482676371085129789078030216045570
1976-770176527964133317009816242342526467
1977-78033538876912891667144298842718197198
1978-790048385776129317791433912532163137334
1979-801105733980110311281126393240812496256
1980-8100774736951182121497968424117705722
1981-82625740666012181713117591153673306787
1982-830611332679110261162908787587219175942
1983-84009639472017091401851104348821716920
1984-850017237675911541520119270733559276301
1985-8600172378104615961181120870234411626745
1986-8702551378941111411848136873365865593
1987-88024545136481083139912547644003336175
1988-890635524749111410021384866417170316298
1989-900614034586514891025943703469221216227
1990-9130853946331301149187569935511205948
1991-920114439510191058105486869148615295877
1992-93026135363897116913441210953528151426818
1993-9402185460851112916061221751437132176791
1994-9501174292681107113631007774521191206005
1995-96301363819451201147111551002514264317103
1996-9703649821322146810437645682880
1997-9840524099081118120779996741945675995
1998-99002633967410671384824808402147275698
1999-00021303555221080121882161538890205241
2000-0100852419301647127412441009286154336903
2001-001053994991065
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 DES MOINES, IA (DSM)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
1972000377184289247109000909
19730002192673583789830001152
197400095214949920952400974
197500031162374083835832001237
1976000193620338528310420001050
197700048172298505232861001342
19780060832513413212213001226
19790000481943043051181500984
198000022832004693531382001267
19810012742243358239952001007
19820000711013742691201100946
198300042027250257418319001574
19840008272543453971012001134
198500046691343612211740001005
1986001117462583861621300001010
198700031121304426250650001197
198800011123294254441013001415
19890064453156379269611500983
199000126522628329718411201035
19910091917230234927915014001294
19920001064174197134861000675
1993000031167281280191500793
19940002265245253213125400927
1995000092063614409011001117
19960004442122452311000
19970000142233382281016500969
19980021991653303231903001113
19990000402044632367211101027
200000349015627833415725001047
200100028612074093226760
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 DES MOINES, IA (DSM)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-730.00.00.0T10.29.515.34.6T15.10.00.054.7
1973-740.00.00.00.0T9.610.66.11.91.20.00.029.4
1974-750.00.00.00.09.39.113.317.95.64.50.00.059.7
1975-760.00.00.00.07.00.52.411.80.90.0T0.022.6
1976-770.00.00.0T1.12.87.60.94.81.90.00.019.1
1977-780.00.00.00.02.222.02.718.69.90.30.00.055.7
1978-790.00.00.00.05.811.016.68.24.18.00.00.053.7
1979-800.00.00.0T0.70.47.95.75.82.80.00.023.3
1980-810.00.00.07.4T2.73.76.6T0.00.00.020.4
1981-820.00.00.00.43.210.718.52.611.915.60.00.062.9
1982-830.00.00.00.80.33.64.216.813.212.60.00.051.5
1983-840.00.00.0T9.819.612.51.313.70.10.00.057.0
1984-850.00.00.0T2.77.67.76.96.7T0.00.031.6
1985-860.00.0T0.08.115.91.36.70.20.10.00.032.3
1986-870.00.00.0T3.12.95.12.85.50.00.00.019.4
1987-880.00.00.0T0.113.01.27.60.80.00.00.022.7
1988-890.00.00.00.01.11.00.116.31.20.6T0.020.3
1989-900.00.00.0T1.76.611.37.40.1T0.00.027.1
1990-910.00.00.0T1.312.19.90.40.2TT0.023.9
1991-920.00.00.0T14.71.21.94.50.20.10.00.022.6
1992-93T0.0TT10.03.711.110.15.11.5TT41.5
1993-940.00.00.00.20.92.08.815.20.50.70.00.028.3
1994-950.00.00.00.00.212.48.72.05.30.4T0.029.0
1995-960.00.00.01.86.522.31.6
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-
POR=56 YRST0.0T0.33.16.78.37.15.91.80.0T33.2

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