Is this weather normal in Polk County?

Iowa · county records since 1895, through September 2026.

Weather › Iowa › Polk County

10 of the last 12 months ran warmer than usual in Polk County. The ground there is unusually wet: NOAA's Palmer reading for September was +5.1.

This week

Usual for Oct 28 to Nov 3: highs near 55°, lows near 35°

That is the 1991 to 2020 average for these dates in Polk County. The Weather Service forecast fills in below.

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usual high for the datewarmercooler

The last 12 months

Oct: +5.8°OctNov: +2.1°NovDec: -0.7°DecJan 2026: 0.0°JanFeb: +7.6°FebMar: +6.6°MarApr: +4.0°AprMay: +1.0°MayJun: +0.3°JunJul: +2.2°JulAug: +0.9°AugSep: +4.0°Sepwarmercooler

Each bar is a month's average temperature against the usual for that month (1991 to 2020). Ranks compare the same month in every year since 1895.

Every year since 1895

18952025

Rain and drought

Oct: -0.2 inOctNov: -0.3 inNovDec: -0.5 inDecJan 2026: +0.2 inJanFeb: -0.4 inFebMar: +0.6 inMarApr: +3.0 inAprMay: -2.1 inMayJun: -0.3 inJunJul: +5.1 inJulAug: +1.5 inAugSep: +4.4 inSepwetterdrier

Rain and melted snow against the usual for each month. The drought reading is NOAA's Palmer index for the county.

Month by month in Polk County

MonthUsual high / lowUsual rainWarmestColdest
January30° / 13°0.9 in34.5° 20063.6° 1912
February35° / 17°1.1 in38.7° 20246.9° 1936
March48° / 28°2.1 in52.9° 201220.4° 1960
April61° / 39°3.8 in57.8° 191541.7° 2018
May72° / 50°5.1 in70.4° 193454.4° 1907
June81° / 61°5.2 in79.2° 193464.8° 1945
July85° / 65°4.1 in84.3° 193669.3° 2009
August83° / 62°4.2 in80.9° 194766.5° 1915
September77° / 54°3.5 in71.8° 189757.9° 1896
October64° / 41°2.6 in63.9° 196340.4° 1925
November48° / 29°1.8 in49.6° 200129.1° 1959
December35° / 19°1.3 in36.2° 20239.2° 1983

Warmest and coldest are the month's whole-month average temperature, with the year it happened.

Towns in Polk County

Crime Radar: Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Clive

Nearby counties