Weather
Being located near the center of North America, far removed from a large body of water, the Des Moines area has a warm summer type Humid continental climate, with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Summer temperatures can often climb into the 30-35 °C range, occasionally reaching 38 °C. Humidity can be high in spring and summer, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Fall brings pleasant temperatures and colorful fall foliage. Winters vary from moderately cold to bitterly cold, with low temperatures venturing below -18 °C quite often. Annual snowfall averages almost 1 metre, and annual precipitation averages 882 mm, with a peak in the warmer months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Max | -2.2 °C | 0.9 °C | 8.3 °C | 16.6 °C | 22.8 °C | 27.9 °C | 30.4 °C | 29 °C | 24.2 °C | 17.9 °C | 8.9 °C | 0.3 °C |
| Avg Min | -11.8 °C | -9.1 °C | -2.4 °C | 4.4 °C | 10.8 °C | 16.2 °C | 19.2 °C | 17.6 °C | 12.5 °C | 5.9 °C | -1.2 °C | -8.8 °C |
| Rainfall | 24.4 mm | 28.2 mm | 59.2 mm | 85.3 mm | 93 mm | 113.3 mm | 96 mm | 106.7 mm | 89.7 mm | 66.5 mm | 45.5 mm | 33.5 mm |
| Rain Days | 4.4 | 4.6 | 6.8 | 8.1 | 9.3 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 6.2 | 5.2 | 5.5 |
Getting There
By Plane
Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is the largest airport in Iowa. It offers flights to/from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Dallas, Chicago, Cancun, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Memphis, Detroit, Denver, Newark, Houston, Phoenix, Charlotte and Washington, D.C..
By Bus
Check Greyhound buses for options.
Getting Around
By Car
Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.
For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.
Keep Connected
Phone
See also International Telephone Calls
Post
There are countless post offices located around the city. Most are open from Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 5:00pm, with limited hours on Saturday. All post offices are closed on Sunday.
If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.
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This is version 5. Last edited at 11:00 on Jan 7, 13 by Utrecht. 3 articles link to this page.
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