Plain Center, SD climate
Plain Center has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Plain Center feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Plain Center 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 | 31° | 11° | 0.5" | 5.7" | 5 | 17 | 13° – 35° |
| February | 36° | 14° | 0.8" | 6.4" | 5 | 12 | 12° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 25° | 1.3" | 5.3" | 6 | 7 | 26° – 51° |
| April | 60° | 35° | 3.0" | 3.2" | 9 | 2 | 39° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 3.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 82° | 58° | 3.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 63° | 3.0" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 67° – 84° |
| August | 85° | 61° | 3.2" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 51° | 2.6" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 38° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 25° | 0.9" | 3.5" | 4 | 4 | 26° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 15° | 0.7" | 7.1" | 4 | 15 | 12° – 30° |
| Year | 60° | 37° | 25.5" | 31.3" | 84 | 57 |
“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 Plain Center
Plain Center gets 25 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 57 days of the year.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 13. That leaves about 165 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 65% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Plain Center
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Plain Center, 88% of that work is heating and 12% 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.
Plain Center and its neighbors
Plain Center borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.7°. Bryan has the coldest January nights (10°) and White Swan the hottest July afternoons (88°). Plain Center’s January low is 11° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Plain Center 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 Plain Center averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°). The shift is smaller than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Plain Center’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 26° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Plain Center’s climate
What is the coldest month in Plain Center?
January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Plain Center?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 63°. About 36 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Plain Center get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Plain Center?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 13, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Plain Center?
May, with 3.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 25 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Plain Center itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Pickstown, SD (7 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.