Cedar, SD climate
Cedar has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cedar feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cedar 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 | 26° | 7° | 0.5" | 6.0" | 4 | 6° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 10° | 0.7" | 9.3" | 4 | 4° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 21° | 1.0" | 6.5" | 4 | 22° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 2.4" | 4.4" | 7 | 34° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 85° | 60° | 3.0" | 0 | 7 | 64° – 79° |
| August | 83° | 58° | 2.5" | 0 | 6 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 48° | 2.1" | 0 | 6 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 35° | 1.9" | 1.1" | 6 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 22° | 0.6" | 5.0" | 3 | 21° – 42° |
| December | 30° | 11° | 0.6" | 4.3" | 4 | 8° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 33° | 22.6" | 36.6" | 71 |
“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 Cedar
Cedar gets 23 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 71 days a year.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first one by September 29. That leaves about 140 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 89% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Cedar
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cedar, 93% of that work is heating and 7% 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.
Cedar and its neighbors
Cedar borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Spring Hill has the coldest January nights (7°) and Como the hottest July afternoons (86°). Cedar’s January low is 7° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Cedar 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 Cedar averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°). The shift is smaller than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cedar’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 4° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Cedar’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cedar?
January, with a typical high of 26° and a low of 7°.
What is the hottest month in Cedar?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 60°. About 26 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cedar get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Cedar?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 29, and the last spring frost by May 10.
What is the rainiest month in Cedar?
June, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 23 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cedar itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Stephan 2 Nw, SD (11 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.