Putney, SD climate
Putney has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade2° cooler than normal today. The forecast high is 63°, and a typical Oct 1 in Putney peaks around 65°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Putney feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Putney 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 | 21° | 2° | 0.5" | 4.7" | 5 | -2° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 7° | 0.6" | 5.8" | 5 | 0° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 20° | 0.9" | 6.7" | 5 | 19° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 1.9" | 4.5" | 6 | 33° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.1" | 0 | 8 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 3.7" | 0 | 9 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.4" | 0 | 6 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 57° | 2.4" | 0 | 6 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 48° | 2.2" | 0 | 7 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 35° | 2.0" | 0.5" | 5 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 21° | 0.7" | 2.0" | 4 | 18° – 41° |
| December | 26° | 9° | 0.6" | 8.1" | 6 | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 22.0" | 32.3" | 71 |
“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 Putney
Putney gets 22 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 71 days a year.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first one by September 29. That leaves about 145 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 85% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Putney
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Putney, 94% of that work is heating and 6% 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.
Putney and its neighbors
Putney borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Riverside has the coldest January nights (2°) and Cambria the hottest July afternoons (83°). Putney’s January low is 2° and its July high 83°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Putney 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 Putney averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 56% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Putney’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 0° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Putney’s climate
What is the coldest month in Putney?
January, with a typical high of 21° and a low of 2°.
What is the hottest month in Putney?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Putney get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Putney?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 29, and the last spring frost by May 7.
What is the rainiest month in Putney?
June, with 3.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 22 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Putney itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Groton, SD (8 mi, snow) and Columbia 8 N, SD (14 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.