Beck-Highland, SD climate
Beck-Highland has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Beck-Highland feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Beck-Highland 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 8° | 0.4" | 5.6" | 3 | 9° – 32° |
| February | 33° | 11° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 4 | 3° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 21° | 0.8" | 7.0" | 4 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 30° | 1.6" | 5.4" | 6 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 3.4" | 0.7" | 7 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 78° | 51° | 3.1" | 0 | 8 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 86° | 57° | 2.5" | 0 | 7 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 86° | 55° | 1.6" | 0 | 5 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 45° | 1.2" | 0 | 4 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 32° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 4 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 44° | 20° | 0.5" | 4.1" | 3 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 10° | 0.4" | 5.9" | 3 | 10° – 31° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 17.5" | 39.7" | 57 |
“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 Beck-Highland
Beck-Highland gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 57 days a year.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 144 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 85% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Beck-Highland
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Beck-Highland, 92% of that work is heating and 8% 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.
Beck-Highland and its neighbors
Beck-Highland borders 1 town with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Duell has both the coldest January nights (7°) and the hottest July afternoons (86°). Beck-Highland’s January low is 8° and its July high 86°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Beck-Highland 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 Beck-Highland averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°). The shift is larger than in 57% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Beck-Highland’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 3° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Beck-Highland’s climate
What is the coldest month in Beck-Highland?
January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Beck-Highland?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 57°. About 28 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Beck-Highland get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Beck-Highland?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 10.
What is the rainiest month in Beck-Highland?
May, with 3.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Beck-Highland itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bison, SD (23 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.