Red Rock, SD climate
Red Rock has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Red Rock feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Red Rock 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 | 25° | 7° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 7 | 29 | 5° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 11° | 0.8" | 10.5" | 8 | 24 | 9° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 1.4" | 6.5" | 9 | 13 | 23° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 2.8" | 6.5" | 11 | 4 | 36° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.5" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.7" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 64° – 80° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 3.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 37° | 2.3" | 1.1" | 9 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 43° | 23° | 1.2" | 4.0" | 6 | 4 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 30° | 13° | 0.8" | 11.9" | 8 | 21 | 7° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 28.1" | 49.0" | 112 | 96 |
“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 Red Rock
Red Rock gets 28 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 112 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 96 days of the year.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 4. That leaves about 155 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 76% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Red Rock
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Red Rock, 93% of that work is heating and 7% 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.
Red Rock and its neighbors
Red Rock borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Beaver Creek has the coldest January nights (7°) and Brandon the hottest July afternoons (84°). Red Rock’s January low is 7° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Red Rock 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 Red Rock averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°). The shift is larger than in 56% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Red Rock’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 23° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Red Rock’s climate
What is the coldest month in Red Rock?
January, with a typical high of 25° and a low of 7°.
What is the hottest month in Red Rock?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 11 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Red Rock get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Red Rock?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 4, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Red Rock?
June, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Red Rock itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Sioux Falls 3.4 Ese, SD (11 mi, snow) and Sioux Falls 14 Nne, SD (9 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.