Climate · Emmet

Emmet, SD climate

Emmet has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
85°
685th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
January low
10°
295th mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Rain + melted snow
28 in
34th wettest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow a winter
31 in
99th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
A normal year

What a year in Emmet feels like

Winter

30° / 13°
Typical high / low · 12 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

59° / 36°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 2

Summer

82° / 60°
Typical high / low · 18 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

61° / 38°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 1
Best months to be outsideMayJunAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Emmet weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January27°10°0.6" 5.2"520 9° – 34°
February33°14°0.8" 6.0"515 11° – 34°
March46°25°1.6" 4.5"69 27° – 52°
April59°36°2.9" 2.9"102 38° – 54°
May71°47°4.0" 0.1"130 54° – 65°
June81°59°4.5" 0110 65° – 75°
July85°63°3.3" 080 66° – 81°
August82°60°3.4" 0100 66° – 75°
September75°51°3.0" 080 57° – 69°
October62°38°2.4" 0.7"81 43° – 55°
November45°25°1.3" 5.0"55 26° – 46°
December31°14°0.9" 6.1"517 10° – 29°
Year58°37°28.5"30.5"9468

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Emmet

Emmet gets 28 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 68 days of the year.

28 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 78% of U.S. towns
31 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 58% of U.S. towns
68 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 76% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.5"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
6.1"
Frost & the growing season

About 151 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 151 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 80% of U.S. towns.

164
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
24
nights below 0° in a normal year
18
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Emmet

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Emmet, 91% of that work is heating and 9% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

91%heating
7,492 heating degree daysMore heating than 80% of U.S. towns
745 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 58% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Emmet

Emmet and its neighbors

Emmet borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Prairie has the coldest January nights (9°) and Garfield the hottest July afternoons (85°). Emmet’s January low is 10° and its July high 85°.

Beresford: January low 10°, July high 84°Alcester: January low 9°, July high 84°Pleasant: January low 9°, July high 84°Glenwood: January low 9°, July high 85°Sioux Valley: January low 9°, July high 85°Virginia: January low 9°, July high 85°Pleasant Valley: January low 10°, July high 85°Prairie Center: January low 10°, July high 85°Brule: January low 10°, July high 85°Prairie: January low 9°, July high 85°Big Springs: January low 10°, July high 84°Garfield: January low 10°, July high 85°Spink: January low 10°, July high 85°Emmet: January low 10°, July high 85° EmmetPrairieBig SpringsGarfieldSpink
ColderMilder9° to 10°
Prairie9.3° −0.5°
Garfield9.6° −0.2°
Spink9.7° −0.1°
Emmet9.8°
Big Springs9.8° same

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Emmet compares

Summer heat85° July high
Cooler than 51% of U.S. towns685th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Winter cold10° January low
Colder than 82% of U.S. towns295th mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Precipitation28" a year
Drier than 78% of U.S. towns34th wettest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow31" a winter
Snowier than 58% of U.S. towns99th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
Growing season151 frost-free days
Shorter than 80% of U.S. towns551st longest of 1,383 South Dakota towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.8°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Emmet averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 86% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.1° now 22°, was 19°
🌷 Spring+0.6° now 47°, was 47°
☀️ Summer−0.0° now 71°, was 71°
🍂 Fall+0.4° now 49°, was 49°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Emmet’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 9° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Emmet’s climate

What is the coldest month in Emmet?

January, with a typical high of 27° and a low of 10°.

What is the hottest month in Emmet?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 18 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Emmet get?

About 31 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.

When is the first frost in Emmet?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 2.

What is the rainiest month in Emmet?

June, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Emmet itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Centerville 6 Se, SD (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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