Climate · Spink

Spink, SD climate

Spink has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
85°
627th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
January low
10°
309th mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Rain + melted snow
28 in
43rd wettest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow a winter
37 in
412th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
A normal year

What a year in Spink feels like

Winter

31° / 13°
Typical high / low · 12 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

59° / 36°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 3

Summer

83° / 61°
Typical high / low · 29 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

61° / 38°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 3
Best months to be outsideMayJunAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Spink weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January28°10°0.6" 8.6"6 10° – 34°
February33°14°0.8" 8.7"5 12° – 35°
March46°25°1.6" 5.6"6 28° – 52°
April60°36°2.9" 1.8"8 38° – 54°
May71°48°4.0" 0.3"11 54° – 65°
June81°59°4.4" 010 66° – 75°
July85°63°3.3" 07 67° – 81°
August82°60°3.3" 08 66° – 76°
September76°51°3.0" 08 57° – 69°
October62°38°2.4" 0.5"6 43° – 55°
November46°25°1.3" 2.5"4 26° – 46°
December32°14°0.9" 8.6"5 10° – 29°
Year59°37°28.4"36.6"83

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Spink

Spink 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 83 days a year.

28 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 78% of U.S. towns
37 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns
83 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.4"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
8.7"
Frost & the growing season

About 153 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 153 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 78% of U.S. towns.

152
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
18
nights below 0° in a normal year
29
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Spink

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Spink, 88% of that work is heating and 12% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

88%heating
6,758 heating degree daysMore heating than 69% of U.S. towns
904 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 55% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Spink

Spink and its neighbors

Spink borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Sioux Valley has the coldest January nights (9°) and Brule the hottest July afternoons (85°). Spink’s January low is 10° and its July high 85°.

Elk Point: January low 10°, July high 86°Fairview: January low 10°, July high 86°Akron: January low 9°, July high 85°Big Springs: January low 10°, July high 84°Virginia: January low 9°, July high 85°Prairie: January low 9°, July high 85°Garfield: January low 10°, July high 85°Spirit Mound: January low 10°, July high 85°Brule: January low 10°, July high 85°Sioux Valley: January low 9°, July high 85°Emmet: January low 10°, July high 85°Prairie Center: January low 10°, July high 85°Spink: January low 10°, July high 85° SpinkBruleSioux ValleyEmmetPrairie Center
ColderMilder9° to 10°
Sioux Valley9.4° −0.3°
Spink9.7°
Brule9.8° +0.1°
Emmet9.8° +0.1°
Prairie Center9.9° +0.2°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Spink compares

Summer heat85° July high
Hotter than 51% of U.S. towns627th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Winter cold10° January low
Colder than 82% of U.S. towns309th mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Precipitation28" a year
Drier than 78% of U.S. towns43rd wettest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow37" a winter
Snowier than 66% of U.S. towns412th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
Growing season153 frost-free days
Shorter than 78% of U.S. towns408th longest of 1,383 South Dakota towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Spink averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°). The shift is smaller than in 91% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.0° now 22°, was 20°
🌷 Spring+0.5° now 48°, was 47°
☀️ Summer−0.1° now 72°, was 72°
🍂 Fall+0.3° now 50°, was 49°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Spink’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 28° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Spink’s climate

What is the coldest month in Spink?

January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 10°.

What is the hottest month in Spink?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 29 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Spink get?

About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Spink?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 3.

What is the rainiest month in Spink?

June, with 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Spink itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Akron, IA (10 mi, snow) and Vermillion 2 Se, SD (11 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.

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