Clayton, SD climate
Clayton has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Clayton feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Clayton 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° | 0.5" | 7.1" | 5 | 20 | 8° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 13° | 0.8" | 7.4" | 5 | 15 | 9° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 24° | 1.3" | 6.0" | 6 | 8 | 25° – 52° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 2.9" | 4.0" | 8 | 2 | 38° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 62° | 3.0" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 66° – 82° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 3.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 50° | 2.8" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 2.1" | 1.2" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| November | 45° | 24° | 1.0" | 5.4" | 5 | 4 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 32° | 13° | 0.8" | 7.8" | 5 | 17 | 10° – 28° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 26.0" | 39.2" | 82 | 65 |
“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 Clayton
Clayton 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 82 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 65 days of the year.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 7. That leaves about 161 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 70% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Clayton
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Clayton, 91% of that work is heating and 9% 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.
Clayton and its neighbors
Clayton borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Pleasant has the coldest January nights (8°) and Foster the hottest July afternoons (86°). Clayton’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 Clayton 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 Clayton averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is smaller than in 77% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Clayton’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 25° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Clayton’s climate
What is the coldest month in Clayton?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 9°.
What is the hottest month in Clayton?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 62°. About 19 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Clayton get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Clayton?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 7, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Clayton?
June, with 4.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 26 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Clayton itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Menno, SD (15 mi, snow) and Bridgewater, SD (12 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.