Climate · Martin

Martin, SD climate

Martin has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
86°
310th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
January low
13°
56th mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Rain + melted snow
21 in
253rd driest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow a winter
48 in
171st snowiest of 1,367 South Dakota towns
A normal year

What a year in Martin feels like

Winter

36° / 14°
Typical high / low · 17 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

58° / 33°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 13

Summer

83° / 56°
Typical high / low · 32 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

61° / 35°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 2
Best months to be outsideMayJunSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Martin weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January35°13°0.5" 4.7"4 16° – 36°
February38°15°0.6" 7.8"5 12° – 37°
March49°24°1.2" 8.8"5 24° – 49°
April58°32°2.5" 9.0"8 38° – 50°
May68°42°3.5" 1.8"9 49° – 61°
June79°53°3.6" 010 61° – 72°
July86°59°2.6" 07 65° – 79°
August85°57°2.3" 07 66° – 76°
September77°48°1.5" 0.1"5 55° – 67°
October61°35°1.6" 2.4"6 39° – 55°
November47°23°0.7" 5.7"3 25° – 45°
December36°15°0.6" 8.1"3 16° – 33°
Year60°35°21.0"48.4"72

“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 Martin

Martin 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 72 days a year.

21 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 87% of U.S. towns
48 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns
72 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
9.0"
Frost & the growing season

About 141 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first one by October 2. That leaves about 141 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 88% of U.S. towns.

170
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
17
nights below 0° in a normal year
32
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 Martin

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

91%heating
7,059 heating degree daysMore heating than 74% of U.S. towns
697 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 61% 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.

Compared with other towns

How Martin compares

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter than 61% of U.S. towns310th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Winter cold13° January low
Colder than 76% of U.S. towns56th mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Precipitation21" a year
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns253rd driest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow48" a winter
Snowier than 81% of U.S. towns171st snowiest of 1,367 South Dakota towns
Growing season141 frost-free days
Shorter than 88% of U.S. towns241st shortest 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

+1.1°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Martin averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°). The shift is smaller than in 60% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.4° now 25°, was 23°
🌷 Spring+1.0° now 45°, was 44°
☀️ Summer+0.3° now 70°, was 70°
🍂 Fall+0.8° now 48°, was 48°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Martin’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. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 12° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Martin’s climate

What is the coldest month in Martin?

January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 13°.

What is the hottest month in Martin?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 59°. About 32 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Martin get?

About 48 inches in a normal winter, most of it in April.

When is the first frost in Martin?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 2, and the last spring frost by May 13.

What is the rainiest month in Martin?

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 Martin itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Martin, SD (1 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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