Elm Springs, SD climate
Elm Springs has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Elm Springs feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Elm Springs 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" | 4.4" | 5 | 16 | 12° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 5.6" | 5 | 12 | 9° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.0" | 6.3" | 6 | 8 | 22° – 48° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 2.0" | 6.6" | 8 | 4 | 39° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.8" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 80° | 54° | 3.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 60° | 2.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 58° | 1.5" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 48° | 1.2" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 35° | 1.6" | 3.0" | 6 | 2 | 40° – 54° |
| November | 47° | 23° | 0.5" | 3.9" | 5 | 6 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.4" | 6.1" | 5 | 12 | 13° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 18.0" | 36.7" | 81 | 59 |
“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 Elm Springs
Elm Springs gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 59 days of the year.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 146 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 84% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Elm Springs
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Elm Springs, 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.
Elm Springs and its neighbors
Elm Springs borders 1 town with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Smithville has both the coldest January nights (12°) and the hottest July afternoons (88°). Elm Springs’s January low is 12° and its July high 88°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Elm Springs 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 Elm Springs averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°). The shift is smaller than in 60% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Elm Springs’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 9° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Common questions about Elm Springs’s climate
What is the coldest month in Elm Springs?
January, with a typical high of 34° and a low of 12°.
What is the hottest month in Elm Springs?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 60°. About 37 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Elm Springs get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in April.
When is the first frost in Elm Springs?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 8.
What is the rainiest month in Elm Springs?
May, with 3.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Elm Springs itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Elm Springs 3 Ese, SD (3 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.