Forecast Details for Des Moines, IA

Recent Locations: Des Moines, IA  
Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 70. South southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. South wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Breezy, with a west wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. West wind 5 to 11 mph becoming south southeast after midnight.
Tuesday: A chance of showers between 1pm and 4pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Sunny, with a high near 78. Windy, with a south wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Wednesday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Breezy.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Breezy.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Breezy.

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Current U.S. National Radar--Current

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National Weather Forecast--Current

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Today's National Weather Map

National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow

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North America Water Vapor (Moisture)

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Weather Topic: What is Condensation?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Condensation

Condensation Next Topic: Contrails

Condensation is the process which creates clouds, and therefore it is a crucial process in the water cycle. Condensation is the change of matter from a state of gas into a state of liquid, and it happens because water molecules release heat into the atmosphere and become organized into a more closely packed structure, what we might see as water droplets.

Water is always present in the air around us as a vapor, but it's too small for us to see. When water undergoes the process of condensation it becomes organized into visible water droplets. You've probably seen condensation happen before on the surface of a cold drink!

Next Topic: Contrails

Weather Topic: What are Cumulonimbus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Cumulonimbus Clouds

Cumulonimbus Clouds Next Topic: Cumulus Clouds

The final form taken by a growing cumulus cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud, which is very tall and dense. The tower of a cumulonimbus cloud can soar 23 km into the atmosphere, although most commonly they stop growing at an altitude of 6 km.

Even small cumulonimbus clouds appear very large in comparison to other cloud types. They can signal the approach of stormy weather, such as thunderstorms or blizzards.

Next Topic: Cumulus Clouds