UV Index in Iowa Today

Choose a city for a live UV reading and hourly forecast. Below you can see the current level in Iowa's largest city, Des Moines.

Right now in Des Moines

4 UV Index

Moderate

Moderate risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure.

Wear sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. Seek shade around midday when the sun is strongest.

UV peaks at 10 (Very High) around 1 PM CDT.

Hourly UV forecast

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Times shown in Des Moines local time (CDT). Data from currentuvindex.com, updated hourly.

See the full Des Moines forecast →

All Iowa cities

UV Index Des Moines Des Moines, IA UV Index Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids, IA UV Index Davenport Davenport, IA UV Index Sioux City Sioux City, IA UV Index Iowa City Iowa City, IA UV Index Waterloo Waterloo, IA UV Index Council Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA UV Index Ames Ames, IA UV Index West Des Moines West Des Moines, IA UV Index Dubuque Dubuque, IA UV Index Ankeny Ankeny, IA UV Index Urbandale Urbandale, IA UV Index Cedar Falls Cedar Falls, IA

Understanding UV in Iowa

UV levels across Iowa follow the same daily pattern everywhere: low in the early morning, a peak around midday, and a drop toward evening. How high the peak gets depends on the season, the sun's angle, elevation, and cloud cover. Southern and higher-elevation areas tend to see stronger midday UV than northern, lower ones.

Whatever the forecast, the safe habits are the same. Check the live reading for your city, cover up when the index hits 3 or more, and be extra careful with midday sun on high-UV days.

UV guides

What is the UV index? UV index scale and chart Best time to avoid the sun Best UV index for tanning UV index and vitamin D Sunscreen and SPF guide

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