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The State Fair is the biggest outdoor event in Iowa, drawing more than 1 million people to the east Des Moines fairgrounds over 11 days each August. This year's fair runs Aug. 8-18.Because of that, weather always plays a major role in the festivities.What's 'normal' Iowa State Fair weather?To define normal, we use data from the Des Moines Airport over the 30-year period from 1991-2020.Between Aug. 8-18, the average high temperature in Des Moines falls from 85 to 83 degrees. Rainfall during that time averages out to a little more than 1.6 inches.As one might guess, there's a lot of variation around those averages.For example, 8.46 inches of rain fell during the 1977 fair, making it the wettest State Fair on record. The famously-wet year of 1993 was the second wettest. Other fairs have come and gone with almost no rainfall. Check our daily forecast here. Has State Fair weather changed over time?That question is an "apples vs. oranges" situation because of the fair's evolution through the years.While the fair has been held since the 1850s, its location, date, and length have varied. The first Iowa State Fair took place in Fairfield back in 1854, then moved to other locations in eastern Iowa before settling permanently in Des Moines in the 1870s.Those long-ago fairs happened later in the year, sometimes as late as October. As recently as the early 1960s, the fair usually ended in early September — historically a cooler, drier month than August. Since then, the fair's timeframe has shifted out of September, eventually moving up to the middle of August.These factors make it difficult to compare many past fairs to the present day.Heat and the State FairSince it takes place outside during summer, we all associate the State Fair with hot temperatures.While there are frequent bouts of heat during fair time, mid-August is actually not the hottest part of the year in Iowa. On average, our temperatures actually peak a little earlier during the second half of July.The 1983 fair holds the title of hottest Iowa State Fair. Only six days in fair history have reached 100 degrees, and they all occurred that year. A reading of 108 degrees from the airport on Aug. 16 remains the highest temperature recorded during the fair.Of course, we can't forget the humidity.Hourly heat index records in Des Moines go back to the 1940s. Since then, the highest heat index measured during fair time is 111 degrees in 1951. More recently, the 2016 State Fair featured one afternoon when the heat index reached 109 degrees.It's not always hotSome past Iowa State Fairs have been on the cool side, even after the fair moved up into August.For instance, almost one-third of the last 60 fairs have taken place without a 90°+ day.The 2004 fair takes the prize of coolest fair held during August. Only three of the fair's 11 days reached 80 degrees that year. The coolest high temperature ever recorded in August during the State Fair is 58 degrees back in 1963.Full coverage of the Iowa State FairWhat about this year's forecast?One fair tradition will be missing at least during the first few days: heat. Starting Thursday, temperatures should only top out in the 70s to lower 80s through the fair's first weekend. ����vlog at the 2024 Iowa State FairYou can see ����vlog 8 News live at 4:30 p.m. every weekday during the fair from the MidAmerican Energy Stage.You can also stream ����vlog 8’s coverage of the Iowa State Fair for free on the Very Local app. Click here to download Very Local to your phone.See all of our Iowa State Fair coverage here.