Iowa wakes to a dim, misty start as fog drifts across fields, parking lots, and early-morning traffic routes. The air feels cool and still, and headlights glow softly through a hazy blanket that lingers along low valleys and open stretches of I-80. With Thanksgiving only a week away, residents traveling early should stay alert for changing visibility through the late morning.
According to the National Weather Service, patchy fog remains possible through mid-morning across the Des Moines metro. Visibility may briefly fall under a mile, especially along rural roads and river crossings. Drivers beginning holiday errands should allow extra time, use low-beam headlights, and expect slower movement on busier east-west commuter corridors.
The rest of the day turns mostly cloudy with highs near the low 50s—comfortable for late-November travel and outdoor cleanup. Tonight stays mild with only a slight chance of rain developing late. Friday brings a 20% chance of showers, mainly during the afternoon, with highs reaching around 50. Roads should stay manageable, though damp pavement could develop during school dismissals and early weekend travel.
Saturday brings the best conditions of the upcoming stretch. Sunshine raises highs into the upper 50s, giving central Iowa one more pleasant November day before a wider national pattern begins shifting. Meteorologists note that models continue to show a deeper trough forming next week across the western and central U.S.—a setup that may produce heavy snow, possibly 3 to 15 inches, somewhere between Nov. 25 and Dec. 3. While Iowa stays mild for now, colder air may arrive near Thanksgiving, fueling the familiar question: Will Des Moines see flakes on the holiday? For now, confidence is low but worth monitoring.
Five-Day Outlook for Des Moines, IA
Today: Patchy fog early; cloudy, high 51.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, low 40.
Friday: Slight rain chance; high 50.
Saturday: Sunny, high 57.
Sunday: Sunny, high 56.
Monday: Rain chance; high 53.
