Pleasant Valley, SD climate
Pleasant Valley has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Pleasant Valley feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Pleasant Valley 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 | 32° | 12° | 0.5" | 5.5" | 3 | 15 | 15° – 37° |
| February | 36° | 16° | 0.7" | 5.9" | 4 | 11 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 25° | 1.3" | 5.5" | 5 | 9 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.0" | 7.7" | 7 | 3 | 38° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 3.9" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 87° | 62° | 3.1" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 66° – 82° |
| August | 84° | 61° | 3.1" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 51° | 2.6" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 38° | 2.1" | 2.0" | 5 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 26° | 0.8" | 6.9" | 4 | 8 | 26° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 16° | 0.6" | 3.7" | 3 | 13 | 14° – 31° |
| Year | 59° | 37° | 25.6" | 37.2" | 62 | 61 |
“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 Pleasant Valley
Pleasant Valley gets 26 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 61 days of the year.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first one by October 10. That leaves about 159 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 72% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Pleasant Valley
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Pleasant Valley, 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.
Pleasant Valley and its neighbors
Pleasant Valley borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.2°. Basin has the coldest January nights (12°) and McCulley the hottest July afternoons (87°). Pleasant Valley’s January low is 12° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Pleasant Valley 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 Pleasant Valley averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°). The shift is smaller than in 79% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Pleasant Valley’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 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Pleasant Valley’s climate
What is the coldest month in Pleasant Valley?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 12°.
What is the hottest month in Pleasant Valley?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 62°. About 26 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Pleasant Valley get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in April.
When is the first frost in Pleasant Valley?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 10, and the last spring frost by May 3.
What is the rainiest month in Pleasant Valley?
May, 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 Pleasant Valley itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bonesteel, SD (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.