Oral, SD climate
Oral has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Oral feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Oral 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 | 38° | 14° | 0.4" | 5.6" | 3 | 14 | 17° – 37° |
| February | 41° | 15° | 0.6" | 7.1" | 5 | 10 | 13° – 38° |
| March | 52° | 24° | 0.9" | 5.6" | 5 | 6 | 27° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 32° | 2.0" | 5.2" | 8 | 3 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 42° | 3.3" | 1.2" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 81° | 52° | 3.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 89° | 59° | 2.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 57° | 1.8" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 1.4" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 34° | 1.4" | 1.8" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 50° | 23° | 0.5" | 3.7" | 3 | 5 | 26° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 14° | 0.4" | 6.6" | 4 | 10 | 18° – 33° |
| Year | 63° | 34° | 18.3" | 36.8" | 77 | 48 |
“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 Oral
Oral gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 48 days of the year.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first one by September 27. That leaves about 133 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 93% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Oral
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Oral, 92% of that work is heating and 8% 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 Oral 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 Oral averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 63% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Oral’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 13° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Oral’s climate
What is the coldest month in Oral?
January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Oral?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 59°. About 43 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Oral get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Oral?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 27, and the last spring frost by May 15.
What is the rainiest month in Oral?
May, with 3.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Oral itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Oral, SD (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.