Dog Ear, SD climate
Dog Ear has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade5° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 75°, and a typical Sep 30 in Dog Ear peaks around 70°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Dog Ear feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Dog Ear 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 | 34° | 12° | 0.4" | 7.2" | 5 | 15 | 15° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.6" | 6.9" | 4 | 7 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 24° | 1.1" | 8.3" | 6 | 4 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 2.6" | 9.2" | 8 | 2 | 38° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.7" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 80° | 55° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 87° | 61° | 2.7" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 85° | 59° | 2.6" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 50° | 2.1" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 1.7" | 1.9" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 25° | 0.7" | 6.0" | 4 | 2 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 16° | 0.5" | 9.6" | 4 | 11 | 14° – 32° |
| Year | 60° | 36° | 22.6" | 49.1" | 73 | 42 |
“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 Dog Ear
Dog Ear 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 73 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 42 days of the year.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 9. That leaves about 159 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 72% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Dog Ear
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Dog Ear, 87% of that work is heating and 13% 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.
Dog Ear and its neighbors
Dog Ear borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Weaver has both the coldest January nights (12°) and the hottest July afternoons (88°). Dog Ear’s January low is 12° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Dog Ear 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 Dog Ear averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 53% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Dog Ear’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 10°.
Common questions about Dog Ear’s climate
What is the coldest month in Dog Ear?
January, with a typical high of 34° and a low of 12°.
What is the hottest month in Dog Ear?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 61°. About 40 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Dog Ear get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Dog Ear?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 9, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Dog Ear?
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 Dog Ear itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Winner, SD (13 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.