Climate · Strool-Plateau

Strool-Plateau, SD climate

Strool-Plateau has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 40 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
8°
532nd mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Rain + melted snow
17 in
36th driest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow a winter
40 in
650th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
A normal year

What a year in Strool-Plateau feels like

Winter

31° / 10°
Typical high / low · 14 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

55° / 30°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 10

Summer

82° / 53°
Typical high / low · 28 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

58° / 32°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 1
Best months to be outsideMayJunSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Strool-Plateau weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January29°8°0.4" 5.6"3 9° – 31°
February32°11°0.5" 8.0"4 2° – 34°
March44°20°0.8" 7.0"4 20° – 45°
April55°30°1.5" 5.4"6 36° – 48°
May66°40°3.1" 0.7"7 48° – 59°
June76°50°3.1" 08 58° – 68°
July85°56°2.4" 07 62° – 77°
August84°54°1.8" 05 63° – 75°
September74°44°1.3" 04 52° – 65°
October58°32°1.4" 3.0"4 37° – 50°
November43°20°0.6" 4.1"3 19° – 41°
December32°11°0.4" 5.9"3 10° – 30°
Year57°31°17.3"39.7"57

“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 Strool-Plateau

Strool-Plateau gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 57 days a year.

17 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 92% of U.S. towns
40 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 70% of U.S. towns
57 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.1"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
8.0"
Frost & the growing season

About 144 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 144 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 85% of U.S. towns.

171
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
24
nights below 0° in a normal year
28
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 Strool-Plateau

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Strool-Plateau, 92% of that work is heating and 8% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

92%heating
7,612 heating degree daysMore heating than 81% of U.S. towns
632 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 67% 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 Strool-Plateau

Strool-Plateau and its neighbors

Strool-Plateau borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Maltby has both the coldest January nights (7°) and the hottest July afternoons (86°). Strool-Plateau’s January low is 8° and its July high 85°.

Antelope: January low 7°, July high 86°Duell: January low 7°, July high 86°Sidney: January low 7°, July high 86°Cash: January low 7°, July high 86°Bison: January low 8°, July high 85°Maltby: January low 7°, July high 86°Vail: January low 7°, July high 85°Scotch Cap: January low 8°, July high 85°Strool-Plateau: January low 8°, July high 85° Strool-PlateauMaltbyVailScotch Cap
ColderMilder7° to 8°
Maltby6.9° −0.8°
Vail7.2° −0.5°
Scotch Cap7.5° −0.2°
Strool-Plateau7.7°

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

Compared with other towns

How Strool-Plateau compares

Summer heat85° July high
Hotter than 51% of U.S. towns627th hottest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Winter cold8° January low
Colder than 85% of U.S. towns532nd mildest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Precipitation17" a year
Drier than 92% of U.S. towns36th driest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow40" a winter
Snowier than 70% of U.S. towns650th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
Growing season144 frost-free days
Shorter than 85% of U.S. towns377th shortest 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

+1.3°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Strool-Plateau averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 60% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.8° now 20°, was 18°
🌷 Spring+1.1° now 43°, was 41°
☀️ Summer+0.5° now 68°, was 67°
🍂 Fall+0.9° now 45°, was 44°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Strool-Plateau’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. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 2° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Strool-Plateau’s climate

What is the coldest month in Strool-Plateau?

January, with a typical high of 29° and a low of 8°.

What is the hottest month in Strool-Plateau?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 56°. About 28 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Strool-Plateau get?

About 40 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Strool-Plateau?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 10.

What is the rainiest month in Strool-Plateau?

June, with 3.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Strool-Plateau itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bison, SD (19 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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