First freeze 2026 · Des Moines, IA
When is Des Moines's first freeze?
First freeze Nov 7 (32°F), 23 days later than normal: tied for the 4th latest in 147 falls on record.
- This fall
- Nov 7 (32°F)
- Normal date
- Oct 15 (1991-2020 median)
- Earliest on record
- Sep 22, 1913
- Latest on record
- Nov 13, 2015
- Record since
- 1878 (147 falls)
- Station
- Des Moines International Airport
- Coldest so far
- 32°F on Nov 7
- Hard freeze (28°F)
- None yet through Nov 7, 11 days past the normal date (Oct 27). 22 of 147 falls since 1879 went past Nov 7 without a hard freeze.
Common questions
When is Des Moines's first freeze?
Around Oct 15. That is the median date of the first freeze (a low of 32°F or colder) at Des Moines International Airport over the 1991-2020 falls, our calculation from NOAA's record.
Has Des Moines had its first freeze this fall?
First freeze Nov 7 (32°F), 23 days later than normal: tied for the 4th latest in 147 falls on record.
What is the earliest first freeze on record in Des Moines?
Sep 22, 1913, in a record that goes back to 1878.
What is the latest first freeze on record in Des Moines?
Nov 13, 2015.
Every fall on record
| Season | Date | Low |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nov 2 | 32°F |
| 2024 | Oct 16 | 31°F |
| 2023 | Oct 27 | 31°F |
| 2022 | Oct 14 | 32°F |
| 2021 | Nov 1 | 31°F |
| 2020 | Oct 19 | 30°F |
| 2019 | Oct 11 | 31°F |
| 2018 | Oct 15 | 30°F |
| 2017 | Oct 28 | 29°F |
| 2016 | Nov 12 | 30°F |
| 2015 | Nov 13 | 31°F |
| 2014 | Oct 31 | 30°F |
| 2013 | Oct 23 | 32°F |
| 2012 | Oct 6 | 30°F |
| 2011 | Oct 20 | 32°F |
| 2010 | Oct 28 | 32°F |
| 2009 | Oct 10 | 30°F |
| 2008 | Oct 27 | 28°F |
| 2007 | Oct 28 | 31°F |
| 2006 | Oct 12 | 28°F |
| 2005 | Oct 23 | 32°F |
| 2004 | Oct 2 | 31°F |
| 2003 | Oct 2 | 30°F |
| 2002 | Oct 13 | 32°F |
| 2001 | Oct 6 | 32°F |
| 2000 | Oct 6 | 30°F |
| 1999 | Oct 4 | 29°F |
| 1998 | Nov 4 | 30°F |
| 1997 | Oct 14 | 32°F |
| 1996 | Oct 30 | 26°F |
| 1995 | Sep 22 | 31°F |
| 1994 | Oct 25 | 31°F |
| 1993 | Oct 9 | 32°F |
| 1992 | Oct 17 | 26°F |
| 1991 | Oct 7 | 29°F |
| 1990 | Oct 18 | 31°F |
| 1989 | Oct 7 | 31°F |
| 1988 | Oct 4 | 32°F |
| 1987 | Oct 3 | 30°F |
| 1986 | Oct 13 | 32°F |
| 1985 | Oct 1 | 29°F |
| 1984 | Sep 26 | 31°F |
| 1983 | Sep 23 | 32°F |
| 1982 | Oct 21 | 30°F |
| 1981 | Oct 19 | 29°F |
| 1980 | Oct 12 | 28°F |
| 1979 | Oct 12 | 32°F |
| 1978 | Oct 26 | 32°F |
| 1977 | Oct 16 | 31°F |
| 1976 | Oct 6 | 31°F |
| 1975 | Oct 2 | 32°F |
| 1974 | Oct 1 | 32°F |
| 1973 | Nov 4 | 28°F |
| 1972 | Sep 30 | 31°F |
| 1971 | Oct 31 | 30°F |
| 1970 | Oct 10 | 32°F |
| 1969 | Oct 14 | 28°F |
| 1968 | Oct 4 | 29°F |
| 1967 | Oct 11 | 27°F |
| 1966 | Oct 17 | 30°F |
| 1965 | Sep 24 | 32°F |
| 1964 | Oct 9 | 26°F |
| 1963 | Oct 29 | 28°F |
| 1962 | Oct 24 | 30°F |
| 1961 | Oct 20 | 28°F |
| 1960 | Oct 19 | 26°F |
| 1959 | Oct 9 | 31°F |
| 1958 | Oct 1 | 31°F |
| 1957 | Oct 25 | 25°F |
| 1956 | Nov 7 | 30°F |
| 1955 | Oct 15 | 30°F |
| 1954 | Oct 18 | 32°F |
| 1953 | Oct 27 | 25°F |
| 1952 | Oct 5 | 30°F |
| 1951 | Sep 28 | 31°F |
| 1950 | Oct 4 | 31°F |
| 1949 | Sep 29 | 32°F |
| 1948 | Oct 17 | 23°F |
| 1947 | Nov 7 | 31°F |
| 1946 | Oct 12 | 31°F |
| 1945 | Sep 29 | 32°F |
| 1944 | Oct 10 | 32°F |
| 1943 | Oct 15 | 31°F |
| 1942 | Sep 24 | 31°F |
| 1941 | Oct 27 | 25°F |
| 1940 | Nov 6 | 31°F |
| 1939 | Sep 30 | 32°F |
| 1938 | Oct 23 | 32°F |
| 1937 | Oct 13 | 30°F |
| 1936 | Oct 21 | 30°F |
| 1935 | Oct 4 | 29°F |
| 1934 | Oct 28 | 28°F |
| 1933 | Oct 24 | 31°F |
| 1932 | Oct 10 | 32°F |
| 1931 | Nov 4 | 32°F |
| 1930 | Oct 17 | 32°F |
| 1929 | Oct 23 | 32°F |
| 1928 | Oct 28 | 32°F |
| 1927 | Oct 14 | 32°F |
| 1926 | Sep 26 | 30°F |
| 1925 | Oct 10 | 28°F |
| 1924 | Nov 7 | 28°F |
| 1923 | Oct 21 | 26°F |
| 1922 | Oct 12 | 31°F |
| 1921 | Oct 8 | 32°F |
| 1920 | Oct 1 | 32°F |
| 1919 | Oct 17 | 30°F |
| 1918 | Oct 31 | 30°F |
| 1917 | Oct 8 | 26°F |
| 1916 | Sep 29 | 31°F |
| 1915 | Oct 9 | 28°F |
| 1914 | Oct 25 | 32°F |
| 1913 | Sep 22 | 32°F |
| 1912 | Oct 23 | 29°F |
| 1911 | Oct 22 | 31°F |
| 1910 | Oct 22 | 32°F |
| 1909 | Oct 11 | 32°F |
| 1908 | Sep 29 | 30°F |
| 1907 | Oct 12 | 29°F |
| 1906 | Oct 10 | 27°F |
| 1905 | Oct 12 | 30°F |
| 1904 | Oct 23 | 29°F |
| 1903 | Oct 18 | 31°F |
| 1902 | Oct 14 | 31°F |
| 1901 | Oct 4 | 30°F |
| 1900 | Nov 7 | 29°F |
| 1899 | Sep 29 | 28°F |
| 1898 | Oct 14 | 30°F |
| 1897 | Oct 29 | 30°F |
| 1896 | Sep 28 | 32°F |
| 1895 | Sep 30 | 32°F |
| 1894 | Oct 14 | 30°F |
| 1893 | Oct 15 | 28°F |
| 1892 | Oct 23 | 30°F |
| 1891 | Oct 9 | 32°F |
| 1890 | Oct 19 | 32°F |
| 1889 | Sep 27 | 31°F |
| 1888 | Sep 29 | 32°F |
| 1887 | Oct 12 | 32°F |
| 1886 | Oct 1 | 31°F |
| 1885 | Oct 4 | 29°F |
| 1884 | Oct 23 | 28°F |
| 1883 | Oct 20 | 28°F |
| 1882 | Nov 11 | 27°F |
| 1881 | Oct 20 | 32°F |
| 1880 | Oct 16 | 32°F |
| 1879 | Oct 24 | 28°F |
Sources
- Daily low temperature and snowfall, threaded station records (ThreadEx), NOAA Regional Climate Centers, Applied Climate Information System (ACIS)