UV Index Today

Real-time solar radiation monitoring

Des Moines, Iowa, United States
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Des Moines

Iowa, United States • Local time: 18:36

Live UV Index
18:00
1.0
Low
Peak 5.1 at 14:00

Temp

15.9°C
Sunny

Status

Sunny

Max

17.6°C

Next 3 Hours

0.1
19:00
0.0
20:00
0.0
21:00

Humidity

79%

Cloud

0%

Wind Spd

6.6km/h

"Low risk. Minimal protection needed."

Today's UV Forecast

Hourly prediction for Des Moines · Peak 5.1 at 14:00

—
00
—
01
—
02
—
03
—
04
—
05
—
06
—
07
0.1
08
0.9
09
2.1
10
3.4
11
4.5
12
5.0
13
5.1
14
4.5
15
3.5
16
2.2
17
1.0
18
0.1
19
—
20
—
21
—
22
—
23

Sunburn time at UV 1.0

Estimate for Des Moines based on your skin type. Estimates only — not medical advice.

Skin type (Fitzpatrick)

Unprotected

1h 40m

Type II · no sunscreen

Recommended

SPF 15+

UV is low, but fair skin still benefits from light protection for longer outings.

With SPF 15+

12+ hours

Theoretical window — apply enough and reapply every 2 hours

Quick take: Longer unprotected window, but cumulative UV still adds up.

Open full calculator with SPF options

Location Map

41.5908, -93.6157 · Elev. 265 m · America/Chicago

Open in Google Maps

Today's UV outlook for Des Moines

Today's forecast for Des Moines peaks at UV 5.1 around 14:00. The hourly outlook shows 6 hours at moderate or above (UV 3+). The live reading is UV 1.0 right now.

UV stays mostly in the low-to-moderate range today, but the hourly bars still show when exposure climbs. Fair skin still benefits from SPF for extended time outdoors.

Compare with other cities in Iowa, or read practical planning notes in the blog .