Star Prairie, SD climate
Star Prairie has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Star Prairie feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Star 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 13° | 0.4" | 7.2" | 5 | 15 | 15° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.6" | 6.9" | 4 | 7 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 24° | 1.1" | 8.3" | 6 | 4 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 33° | 2.6" | 9.2" | 8 | 2 | 38° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 80° | 55° | 3.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 87° | 61° | 2.7" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 85° | 59° | 2.5" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 50° | 2.0" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 1.7" | 1.9" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 25° | 0.7" | 6.0" | 4 | 2 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 16° | 0.5" | 9.6" | 4 | 11 | 15° – 32° |
| Year | 60° | 36° | 22.4" | 49.1" | 73 | 42 |
“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 Star Prairie
Star Prairie 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 73 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 42 days of the year.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 9. That leaves about 159 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 72% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Star Prairie
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Star Prairie, 87% of that work is heating and 13% 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.
Star Prairie and its neighbors
Star Prairie borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.0°. Wortman has both the coldest January nights (12°) and the hottest July afternoons (88°). Star Prairie’s January low is 13° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Star Prairie 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 Star Prairie averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°). The shift is larger than in 51% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Star Prairie’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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Star Prairie’s climate
What is the coldest month in Star Prairie?
January, with a typical high of 34° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Star Prairie?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 61°. About 40 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Star Prairie get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Star Prairie?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 9, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Star Prairie?
June, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 22 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Star Prairie itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Winner, SD (16 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.