Split Rock, SD climate
Split Rock has cold, snowy winters and warm 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 Split Rock feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Split 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 | 26° | 7° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 7 | 29 | 5° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 11° | 0.8" | 10.5" | 8 | 24 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 23° | 1.5" | 6.5" | 9 | 13 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 34° | 2.9" | 6.5" | 11 | 4 | 37° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.5" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.7" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 62° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 65° – 80° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.3" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 3.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 37° | 2.3" | 1.1" | 9 | 1 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 44° | 23° | 1.2" | 4.0" | 6 | 4 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 30° | 13° | 0.8" | 11.9" | 8 | 21 | 8° – 28° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 28.4" | 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 Split Rock
Split 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 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 157 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 74% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Split Rock
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Split Rock, 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.
Split Rock and its neighbors
Split Rock borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Brandon has the coldest January nights (7°) and Anderson the hottest July afternoons (84°). Split 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 Split 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 Split Rock averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 54% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Split 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 24° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Split Rock’s climate
What is the coldest month in Split Rock?
January, with a typical high of 26° and a low of 7°.
What is the hottest month in Split Rock?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 62°. About 15 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Split Rock get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Split Rock?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 6, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Split 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 Split 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 (4 mi, snow) and Sioux Falls, SD (8 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.