Lake Norden, SD climate
Lake Norden has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Lake Norden feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lake Norden 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 | 23° | 4° | 0.6" | 5.4" | 4 | 26 | 1° – 26° |
| February | 28° | 8° | 0.7" | 6.9" | 4 | 22 | 4° – 29° |
| March | 40° | 20° | 1.3" | 5.2" | 5 | 16 | 19° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 2.4" | 3.8" | 8 | 4 | 34° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 62° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 2.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.1" | 0.8" | 7 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 21° | 1.0" | 2.0" | 3 | 4 | 20° – 41° |
| December | 27° | 10° | 0.7" | 9.9" | 4 | 18 | 5° – 25° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 25.5" | 34.0" | 83 | 91 |
“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 Lake Norden
Lake Norden gets 25 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 91 days of the year.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 145 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 85% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Norden
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lake Norden, 95% of that work is heating and 5% 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.
How Lake Norden 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 Lake Norden averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°). The shift is smaller than in 57% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lake Norden’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 19° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Lake Norden’s climate
What is the coldest month in Lake Norden?
January, with a typical high of 23° and a low of 4°.
What is the hottest month in Lake Norden?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 13 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Lake Norden get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Lake Norden?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 6.
What is the rainiest month in Lake Norden?
June, with 4.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 25 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lake Norden itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Hayti, SD (6 mi, snow) and Castlewood #2, SD (14 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.