Climate · Moore

Moore, SD climate

Moore has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
87°
239th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
January low
11°
236th mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Rain + melted snow
25 in
493rd wettest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow a winter
34 in
250th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
A normal year

What a year in Moore feels like

Winter

33° / 13°
Typical high / low · 11 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

59° / 35°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 3

Summer

84° / 60°
Typical high / low · 33 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

62° / 38°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 6
Best months to be outsideMayJunSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Moore 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
January30°11°0.5" 6.1"419 12° – 35°
February35°14°0.7" 5.5"511 11° – 35°
March47°24°1.2" 6.3"58 25° – 50°
April59°35°2.9" 4.1"91 38° – 54°
May70°46°3.6" 0100 54° – 65°
June81°57°3.8" 0100 64° – 74°
July87°62°2.9" 090 66° – 82°
August84°60°3.1" 070 66° – 76°
September77°51°2.6" 060 58° – 70°
October62°38°2.0" 1.2"60 42° – 54°
November46°24°0.8" 6.1"46 25° – 45°
December33°15°0.6" 5.1"313 12° – 30°
Year59°36°25.0"34.4"7657

“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 Moore

Moore 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 76 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 57 days of the year.

25 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 82% of U.S. towns
34 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 63% of U.S. towns
57 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 70% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.8"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
6.3"
Frost & the growing season

About 157 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 157 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 74% of U.S. towns.

156
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
16
nights below 0° in a normal year
33
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 Moore

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Moore, 88% of that work is heating and 12% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

88%heating
6,747 heating degree daysMore heating than 69% of U.S. towns
929 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 57% 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 Moore

Moore and its neighbors

Moore borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.2°. Clark has the coldest January nights (10°) and Howard the hottest July afternoons (87°). Moore’s January low is 11° and its July high 87°.

Geddes: January low 11°, July high 88°Jackson: January low 11°, July high 88°Signal: January low 10°, July high 89°Iowa: January low 10°, July high 87°Joubert: January low 9°, July high 87°Platte: January low 10°, July high 88°White Swan: January low 11°, July high 88°Independence: January low 9°, July high 87°Armour: January low 10°, July high 87°Grandview: January low 9°, July high 87°Kennedy: January low 10°, July high 87°Plain Center: January low 11°, July high 87°Rhoda: January low 11°, July high 87°Clark: January low 10°, July high 87°Darlington: January low 10°, July high 87°Goose Lake: January low 11°, July high 87°Chester: January low 10°, July high 87°Howard: January low 10°, July high 87°Moore: January low 11°, July high 87° MooreRhodaClarkDarlingtonGoose LakeChesterHoward
ColderMilder9° to 11°
Clark9.8° −0.8°
Chester10.0° −0.6°
Howard10.1° −0.5°
Darlington10.3° −0.3°
Moore10.6°
Rhoda10.7° +0.1°
Goose Lake11.0° +0.4°

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

Compared with other towns

How Moore compares

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter than 65% of U.S. towns239th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Winter cold11° January low
Colder than 80% of U.S. towns236th mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Precipitation25" a year
Drier than 82% of U.S. towns493rd wettest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow34" a winter
Snowier than 63% of U.S. towns250th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
Growing season157 frost-free days
Shorter than 74% of U.S. towns197th 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

+0.9°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Moore averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°). The shift is smaller than in 79% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.6° now 23°, was 20°
🌷 Spring+0.6° now 47°, was 46°
☀️ Summer−0.2° now 72°, was 72°
🍂 Fall+0.5° now 50°, was 49°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Moore’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. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 25° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Moore’s climate

What is the coldest month in Moore?

January, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 11°.

What is the hottest month in Moore?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 62°. About 33 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Moore get?

About 34 inches in a normal winter, most of it in March.

When is the first frost in Moore?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 6, and the last spring frost by May 3.

What is the rainiest month in Moore?

June, with 3.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 25 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Moore itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Armour, SD (12 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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