Oak Lake, SD climate
Oak Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Oak Lake feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Oak 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 | 22° | 5° | 0.6" | 5.5" | 6 | 24 | 1° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 8° | 0.7" | 7.1" | 6 | 18 | 4° – 29° |
| March | 38° | 20° | 1.4" | 6.4" | 7 | 12 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 2.6" | 4.1" | 10 | 3 | 32° – 51° |
| May | 66° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 3.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 3.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 3.0" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.2" | 1.1" | 8 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 22° | 1.1" | 4.7" | 5 | 7 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 11° | 0.8" | 6.8" | 6 | 19 | 5° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 33° | 27.4" | 35.8" | 99 | 83 |
“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 Oak Lake
Oak Lake gets 27 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 83 days of the year.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 150 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 81% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Oak Lake
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Oak Lake, 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.
Oak Lake and its neighbors
Oak Lake borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.2°. Argo has the coldest January nights (4°) and Sherman the hottest July afternoons (81°). Oak Lake’s January low is 5° and its July high 81°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Oak 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 Oak Lake averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°). The shift is smaller than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Oak 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 4° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Oak Lake’s climate
What is the coldest month in Oak Lake?
January, with a typical high of 22° and a low of 5°.
What is the hottest month in Oak Lake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 6 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Oak Lake get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Oak Lake?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 6.
What is the rainiest month in Oak Lake?
June, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 27 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Oak Lake itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Brookings 2 Ne, SD (15 mi, snow) and Astoria 4s, SD (3 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.