Baker, SD climate
Baker has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Baker feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Baker weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 9° | 0.6" | 5.6" | 5 | 25 | 9° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 13° | 1.0" | 8.3" | 6 | 18 | 8° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 23° | 1.3" | 5.8" | 7 | 9 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 34° | 2.9" | 6.0" | 9 | 3 | 36° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.7" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 3.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 86° | 62° | 3.0" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 2.9" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 50° | 2.7" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 61° | 37° | 2.0" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 24° | 0.9" | 4.1" | 4 | 3 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 32° | 13° | 0.7" | 10.2" | 6 | 20 | 10° – 29° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 25.5" | 40.6" | 89 | 78 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Baker
Baker gets 26 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 78 days of the year.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first one by October 11. That leaves about 167 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 64% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Baker
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Baker, 88% of that work is heating and 12% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Baker and its neighbors
Baker borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.1°. Union has both the coldest January nights (8°) and the hottest July afternoons (87°). Baker’s January low is 9° and its July high 86°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Baker compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Baker averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is smaller than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Baker’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 24° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Baker’s climate
What is the coldest month in Baker?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 9°.
What is the hottest month in Baker?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 62°. About 30 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Baker get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Baker?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 11, and the last spring frost by April 27.
What is the rainiest month in Baker?
June, with 3.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 26 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Baker itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mitchell, SD (18 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.