Long Lake, SD climate
Long Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Long Lake feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Long Lake 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 | 21° | 3° | 0.5" | 7.9" | 7 | 25 | -1° – 26° |
| February | 25° | 7° | 0.6" | 6.0" | 7 | 24 | -2° – 28° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 0.9" | 7.5" | 8 | 19 | 18° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 1.7" | 4.6" | 9 | 6 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 3.6" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.2" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 33° | 1.8" | 2.3" | 9 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 19° | 0.6" | 4.9" | 6 | 9 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 26° | 9° | 0.6" | 9.2" | 6 | 20 | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 21.2" | 42.4" | 104 | 105 |
“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 Long Lake
Long Lake gets 21 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 105 days of the year.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first one by September 30. That leaves about 143 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 87% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Long Lake
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Long Lake, 96% of that work is heating and 4% 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 Long Lake 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 Long Lake averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°). The shift is smaller than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Long Lake’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 -2° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Long Lake’s climate
What is the coldest month in Long Lake?
January, with a typical high of 21° and a low of 3°.
What is the hottest month in Long Lake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Long Lake get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Long Lake?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 30, and the last spring frost by May 10.
What is the rainiest month in Long Lake?
June, with 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 21 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Long Lake itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ashley, ND (15 mi, snow) and Aberdeen 35 Wnw, SD (11 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.