A personal watercraft in Iowa is off the water for about 7 months a year at Des Moines, and the median first 32°F night arrives October 11 at Dubuque (NOAA 1991-2020). 15 jet ski & PWC storage facilities are listed in Iowa, 15 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Des Moines high / low | personal watercraft | Dubuque snow | Dubuque high / low | personal watercraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31° / 14° | off the water | 10.7 in | 27° / 11° | off the water |
| Feb | 36° / 18° | off the water | 10.6 in | 31° / 15° | off the water |
| Mar | 49° / 30° | off the water | 5.7 in | 44° / 26° | off the water |
| Apr | 62° / 41° | off the water | 1.9 in | 58° / 37° | off the water |
| May | 72° / 52° | wetsuit weather | 0.0 in | 69° / 49° | wetsuit weather |
| Jun | 82° / 62° | on the water | 0.0 in | 79° / 59° | on the water |
| Jul | 86° / 66° | on the water | 0.0 in | 82° / 62° | on the water |
| Aug | 84° / 64° | on the water | 0.0 in | 80° / 60° | on the water |
| Sep | 77° / 55° | on the water | 0.0 in | 73° / 52° | wetsuit weather |
| Oct | 63° / 43° | off the water | 0.5 in | 60° / 40° | off the water |
| Nov | 48° / 30° | off the water | 2.8 in | 45° / 28° | off the water |
| Dec | 36° / 20° | off the water | 10.3 in | 32° / 17° | off the water |
Jet Ski column rule: on the water from a 76°F high; wetsuit weather from 66°F; off the water below.
By that rule a personal watercraft at Des Moines has 4 months on the water (June to September), 1 of wetsuit weather and 7 off the water. By that rule a personal watercraft at Dubuque has 3 months on the water (June to August), 2 of wetsuit weather and 7 off the water.
Iowa is hard-freeze country: Dubuque logs about 144.1 nights at or below 32°F and 61.4 days that never thaw, enough to freeze any water left in the exhaust, cooling passages and pump housing.
15 live listings in 5 cities; by listed type: 15 indoor, 15 covered and 15 outdoor (types overlap). No Iowa jet ski & PWC storage listing publishes a rate on StowHelp.
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornerstone Storage - Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| LockBox Storage - Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| Ames Central Storage | Ames | indoor, outdoor, covered | security cameras, gated entry | Boat |
| Broadway Storage | Des Moines | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| Three Rivers RV Storage | Carlisle | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| Capitol City Mini Storage | Des Moines | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| CR Area Storage | Cedar Rapids | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| Hilltop Storage LLC | Cedar Rapids | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat | |
| East Lincoln Way Storage | Ames | indoor, outdoor, covered | Boat |
| City | Jet Ski & PWC Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Cedar Rapids | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Des Moines | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Council Bluffs | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Carlisle | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is October 20 at Des Moines and October 11 at Dubuque; winterize by September 27, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our personal watercraft rule Des Moines stays on the water through September and Dubuque through August, then 1 month of wetsuit weather follow at Des Moines. 15 Iowa listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
7 at Des Moines (October to May) and 7 at Dubuque (September to May), plus 1 and 2 months of wetsuit weather. Those off the water months hold 42.5 of the 42.5 inches of snow Dubuque averages a year (100%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Des Moines a personal watercraft is on the water from June to September (4 months), against 3 at Dubuque.
Of 15 live Iowa listings, 15 list indoor space and 0 climate-controlled units, against 15 outdoor and 15 covered. By city: Ames (4 listed, 4 indoor), Cedar Rapids (4 listed, 4 indoor), Des Moines (4 listed, 4 indoor) and Council Bluffs (2 listed, 2 indoor). Most indoor listings: Ames (4), Cedar Rapids (4) and Des Moines (4). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 5 cities in all.
At Dubuque, 5 months average a low at or below 32°F, all of them off the water months by our personal watercraft rule. Dubuque logs 144.1 nights at or below 32°F and 16.1 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 11.1°F and is off the water for a personal watercraft.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is April 18 at Des Moines and April 28 at Dubuque; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around April 8 and April 17. Our rule makes June the first month on the water at Des Moines and June at Dubuque. That month Des Moines averages a 62.4°F low and a 81.9°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
Iowa jet ski & PWC storage listings span 5 cities, led by Ames (4 listed), Cedar Rapids (4 listed), Des Moines (4 listed), Council Bluffs (2 listed) and Carlisle (1 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Ames (4 outdoor) and Cedar Rapids (4 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 15 list outdoor, 15 covered and 15 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before October 11.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00014933, USW00094908); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).