Flat Butte, SD climate
Flat Butte has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Flat Butte feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Flat Butte 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 | 35° | 13° | 0.4" | 5.5" | 4 | 11 | 14° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 5 | 8 | 10° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 25° | 1.0" | 5.9" | 6 | 4 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 2.1" | 6.4" | 9 | 2 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 80° | 54° | 3.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 61° | 2.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 87° | 59° | 1.7" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 48° | 1.3" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 36° | 1.6" | 1.9" | 7 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 23° | 0.5" | 3.7" | 4 | 4 | 24° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 15° | 0.4" | 7.7" | 5 | 9 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 18.3" | 38.0" | 80 | 38 |
“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 Flat Butte
Flat Butte 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 80 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 38 days of the year.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first one by October 7. That leaves about 152 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 79% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Flat Butte
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Flat Butte, 86% of that work is heating and 14% 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.
Flat Butte and its neighbors
Flat Butte borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.0°. Quinn has the coldest January nights (12°) and Castle Butte the hottest July afternoons (89°). Flat Butte’s January low is 13° and its July high 88°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Flat Butte 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 Flat Butte averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°). The shift is larger than in 55% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Flat Butte’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 10° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Common questions about Flat Butte’s climate
What is the coldest month in Flat Butte?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Flat Butte?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 61°. About 53 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Flat Butte get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Flat Butte?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 7, and the last spring frost by May 5.
What is the rainiest month in Flat Butte?
May, with 3.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Flat Butte itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Interior 3 Ne, SD (12 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.