Pine Ridge, SD climate
Pine Ridge has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Pine Ridge feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Pine Ridge 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 | 37° | 14° | 0.4" | 6.5" | 4 | 18 | 18° – 36° |
| February | 40° | 16° | 0.6" | 7.3" | 5 | 14 | 16° – 38° |
| March | 51° | 25° | 1.0" | 8.1" | 6 | 10 | 25° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 2.1" | 7.0" | 9 | 5 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 3.1" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 80° | 53° | 3.2" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 59° | 2.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 87° | 57° | 2.0" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 47° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 34° | 1.4" | 2.7" | 7 | 2 | 39° – 54° |
| November | 48° | 23° | 0.7" | 5.8" | 4 | 8 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 14° | 0.4" | 6.6" | 4 | 16 | 16° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 18.3" | 45.8" | 78 | 72 |
“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 Pine Ridge
Pine Ridge gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 72 days of the year.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first one by September 27. That leaves about 132 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 94% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Pine Ridge
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Pine Ridge, 90% of that work is heating and 10% 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 Pine Ridge 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 Pine Ridge averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°). The shift is larger than in 80% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Pine Ridge’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 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Pine Ridge’s climate
What is the coldest month in Pine Ridge?
January, with a typical high of 37° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Pine Ridge?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 59°. About 46 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Pine Ridge get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter, most of it in March.
When is the first frost in Pine Ridge?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 27, and the last spring frost by May 16.
What is the rainiest month in Pine Ridge?
June, with 3.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Pine Ridge itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Gordon 6n, NE (20 mi, snow) and Pine Ridge Airport, SD (2 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.