West Des Moines, Iowa Weather
West Des Moines, Iowa — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, radar and satellite imagery for West Des Moines, Polk County.
Full aviation weather for West Des Moines is published on the Des Moines International Airport (KDSM) page, 7 km away. It carries the current METAR decoded into plain language — surface wind, visibility, cloud layers and ceiling, temperature and dewpoint, and altimeter setting — alongside the raw observation as transmitted. 6 airfields within reach of West Des Moines have their own pages, listed below.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is shown across its full validity period, with each change group broken out so you can see when conditions are expected to shift. Flight category is derived automatically — VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR — from reported ceiling and visibility, with runway details and field elevation alongside. Observations update roughly hourly and forecasts several times a day.
Other airports near West Des Moines: Ankeny Regional Airport (KIKV) 18 km · Perry Municipal Airport (KPRO) 46 km · Ames Municipal Airport (KAMW) 47 km · Boone Municipal Airport (KBNW) 54 km · Newton Municipal Airport (KTNU) 58 km
Conditions reported at KDSM describe the airfield itself. Weather 7 km away can differ, particularly in terrain or near the coast. For conditions at West Des Moines specifically, see the current conditions and forecast above.
About West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines unfolds across the rolling, fertile plains of central Iowa, a landscape defined by expansive skies and the steady, patient geometry of cultivated fields. It lies 3.4 miles south of Urbandale, IA (from Urbandale, IA: bearing 179°T), and is situated 5.5 miles west-south-west of Des Moines. Here, the land breathes with a quiet resilience, its gentle undulations hinting at the underlying glacial moraine that shapes the terrain. The air, especially in the late afternoon, carries the subtle scent of freshly turned earth and the distant hum of agricultural machinery, a constant reminder of the productive soil that sustains this place. Mature oak trees, their branches reaching like gnarled fingers, punctuate the open vistas, offering dappled shade and a sense of enduring presence against the broad, ever-changing canvas of the sky. This stretch of Polk County has a history tied to the westward expansion and the burgeoning agricultural economy of the American Midwest. Early settlers were drawn by the rich prairie soil, establishing farms that laid the groundwork for West Des Moines' eventual growth. Today, the local economy thrives on a diverse base, encompassing agribusiness, retail, and a growing presence in technology and professional services, reflecting a modern adaptability while still honoring its agrarian roots. The Raccoon River, though not a dominant feature within the city proper, subtly influences the broader watershed, its presence a quiet murmur beneath the surface of daily life. West Des Moines, a community built on pragmatism and forward momentum, continues to cultivate its identity, a blend of suburban comfort and the enduring spirit of the prairie.
Live animated radar for West Des Moines and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | West Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa |
| Coordinates | 41.577212°N, 93.711332°W |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 50265, 50266 |
| Area Code | 515 |
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This West Des Moines, Iowa Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for West Des Moines, Iowa, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Aviation weather — live METAR observations and TAF forecasts — is published separately on the pages for the nearest reporting airports, linked from the aviation section above. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for West Des Moines includes coordinates 41.577212°N, 93.711332°W, situated in Polk County. ZIP code 50265, 50266. Telephone area code: 515. Timezone: Central Time (America/Chicago).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
