Palisade, SD climate
Palisade has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Palisade feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Palisade 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 | 24° | 7° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 7 | 22 | 5° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 11° | 0.8" | 8.6" | 7 | 16 | 9° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 1.4" | 7.2" | 8 | 10 | 23° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 2.8" | 5.1" | 10 | 2 | 36° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.7" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 64° – 79° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 3.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 3.0" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 37° | 2.3" | 1.4" | 8 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 43° | 23° | 1.2" | 6.2" | 6 | 5 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 29° | 12° | 0.8" | 8.7" | 7 | 16 | 7° – 27° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 28.2" | 45.3" | 104 | 73 |
“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 Palisade
Palisade gets 28 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 73 days of the year.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 4. That leaves about 155 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 76% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Palisade
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Palisade, 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.
Palisade and its neighbors
Palisade borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Highland has the coldest January nights (6°) and Red Rock the hottest July afternoons (84°). Palisade’s January low is 7° and its July high 83°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Palisade 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 Palisade averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°). The shift is larger than in 50% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Palisade’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 23° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Palisade’s climate
What is the coldest month in Palisade?
January, with a typical high of 24° and a low of 7°.
What is the hottest month in Palisade?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 11 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Palisade get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Palisade?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 4, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Palisade?
June, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Palisade itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Sioux Falls, SD (14 mi, snow) and Sioux Falls 14 Nne, SD (8 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.