Forecast Details for Des Moines, IA

Recent Locations: Des Moines, IA

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 70. Breezy, with a northwest wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 40. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 7 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 63. North wind around 7 mph becoming east in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph.

Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Breezy, with a southeast wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Thursday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 53. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Friday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 72. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Windy.

Saturday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 56. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. Windy.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Breezy.

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Current U.S. National Radar--Current

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National Weather Forecast--Current

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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

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