Old Elm Spring Colony, SD climate
Old Elm Spring Colony has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Old Elm Spring Colony feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Old Elm Spring Colony 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 | 28° | 8° | 0.5" | 6.1" | 5 | 19 | 8° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 13° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 5 | 11 | 9° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 24° | 1.3" | 5.2" | 6 | 7 | 25° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 34° | 2.9" | 4.7" | 8 | 2 | 37° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 3.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 62° | 3.0" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 82° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 3.1" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 50° | 2.8" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 2.1" | 0.9" | 7 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 23° | 1.0" | 3.2" | 4 | 3 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 32° | 13° | 0.8" | 8.2" | 5 | 15 | 10° – 28° |
| Year | 59° | 36° | 25.7" | 36.3" | 81 | 58 |
“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 Old Elm Spring Colony
Old Elm Spring Colony gets 26 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 58 days of the year.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first one by September 29. That leaves about 143 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 87% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Old Elm Spring Colony
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Old Elm Spring Colony, 93% of that work is heating and 7% 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 Old Elm Spring Colony 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 Old Elm Spring Colony averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is smaller than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Old Elm Spring Colony’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 25° to 51°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Old Elm Spring Colony’s climate
What is the coldest month in Old Elm Spring Colony?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Old Elm Spring Colony?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 62°. About 25 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Old Elm Spring Colony get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Old Elm Spring Colony?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 29, and the last spring frost by May 8.
What is the rainiest month in Old Elm Spring Colony?
June, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 26 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Old Elm Spring Colony itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Alexandria, SD (11 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.