May in Des Moines, IA: variable for golf — mixed conditions — check the live score. Best tee times: mid-morning through early afternoon.
| Average May Weather | |
|---|---|
| Avg daily high | 72°F |
| Avg daily low | 53°F |
| Rainy days | 18 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 13.2 mph |
May is when Des Moines courses fill fast, and knowing when to book matters as much as knowing when to tee off. Temperatures climb to a 72°F average high — comfortable by any measure — and winds ease to 13.2 mph, the fourth-calmest reading of the year. Those conditions draw a crowd. The catch is that May is also the wettest month on the calendar, averaging 18 precipitation days, so the tee sheet can shift quickly when morning storms push everyone toward the same afternoon windows.
The 19°F daily swing between the 53°F low and 72°F high means early starters will feel a noticeably different round than afternoon players. Layering is practical, not optional. Tee times before 8 AM tend to run cooler and firmer; post-noon slots offer warmer air but softer, slower fairways after overnight rain. Matching your preferred conditions to the right slot takes a bit of forecasting homework this month.
With 18 rainy days spread across the month, same-week booking is risky — popular afternoon windows on clear days get claimed fast after storms burn off. Book your preferred slot 10–14 days out and set a weather alert so you can swap to an earlier morning time if the forecast looks dry; courses fill those gaps quickly. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
May is 12°F warmer than April and sheds 2.3 mph of peak wind, making it genuinely more playable round-to-round — but it adds 5 precipitation days, pushing it to the rainiest month of the year. June is another 11°F warmer and drops to 14 precip days, so if you can wait, June trades some of May's unpredictability for more consistent warmth. May sits in the middle of that transition: better than April's chill, but not as reliable as June.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for Des Moines, IA for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
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Conditions vary week to week. Fairways green up quickly with the warm temperatures, but 18 average precipitation days mean cart path–only restrictions are common after wet stretches. Calling ahead or checking course websites for conditions reports is worth the two minutes before you drive out.
Late morning — roughly 9–11 AM — often hits the sweet spot, after the overnight chill lifts from a 53°F low but before afternoon storm cells that are common in May. Early morning tee times run cooler and windier; late afternoon slots carry the highest storm risk as the day heats toward the 72°F average high.