Prairie has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Prairie at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Prairie’s climate
Read from where Prairie sits among South Dakota’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
40 inches of snow, 17 of rain and melt
June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 57 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Prairie averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 60% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
What a year in Prairie feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Prairie’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
144 frost-free days. The last frost comes by May 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 1.
About 40" a winter over 14 days with an inch or more, most in February.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through May. Heating is 92% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 28 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 85°.
The nicest months are May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →How Prairie compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in South Dakota.
Prairie 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 8° | 0.4" | 5.6" | 3 | 9° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 11° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 4 | 2° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 20° | 0.8" | 7.0" | 4 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.5" | 5.4" | 6 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.7" | 7 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 3.1" | 0 | 8 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 56° | 2.4" | 0 | 7 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 1.8" | 0 | 5 | 63° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 1.3" | 0 | 4 | 52° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 4 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 43° | 20° | 0.5" | 4.1" | 3 | 19° – 41° |
| December | 32° | 10° | 0.4" | 5.9" | 3 | 9° – 30° |
| Year | 57° | 31° | 17.2" | 39.7" | 57 |
Heating and cooling a home in Prairie
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Prairie’s climate
What is the coldest month in Prairie?
January, with a typical high of 29° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Prairie?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 56°. About 28 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Prairie get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Prairie?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 10.
What is the rainiest month in Prairie?
June, with 3.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Prairie.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Prairie itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bison, SD (17 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.