Climate · Tetonka

Tetonka, SD climate

Tetonka has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
84°
594th coolest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
January low
3°
297th coldest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Rain + melted snow
22 in
349th driest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow a winter
34 in
224th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
A normal year

What a year in Tetonka feels like

Winter

26° / 7°
Typical high / low · 11 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

55° / 32°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 7

Summer

82° / 58°
Typical high / low · 18 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

58° / 34°
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

Tetonka weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January23°3°0.5" 5.2"3 0° – 28°
February28°8°0.6" 7.5"4 2° – 29°
March41°20°0.9" 5.5"4 20° – 44°
April56°32°1.9" 1.2"6 35° – 51°
May69°45°3.1" 08 52° – 65°
June79°56°3.7" 08 62° – 72°
July84°60°3.3" 06 64° – 78°
August82°58°2.2" 06 64° – 74°
September74°48°2.2" 06 54° – 66°
October59°35°2.1" 0.8"5 39° – 51°
November41°21°0.7" 3.2"3 19° – 42°
December28°9°0.6" 10.7"4 5° – 27°
Year55°33°21.7"34.1"62

“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 Tetonka

Tetonka 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 62 days a year.

22 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 87% of U.S. towns
34 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 62% of U.S. towns
62 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.7"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
11"
Frost & the growing season

About 149 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 149 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 82% of U.S. towns.

179
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
39
nights below 0° in a normal year
18
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 Tetonka

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Tetonka, 93% of that work is heating and 7% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

93%heating
8,208 heating degree daysMore heating than 88% of U.S. towns
664 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 64% 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 Tetonka

Tetonka and its neighbors

Tetonka borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Beotia has the coldest January nights (3°) and Clifton the hottest July afternoons (84°). Tetonka’s January low is 3° and its July high 84°.

Northville: January low 4°, July high 84°Jefferson: January low 4°, July high 84°Harmony: January low 4°, July high 84°Great Bend: January low 4°, July high 85°Olean: January low 3°, July high 84°Brentford: January low 3°, July high 84°Prairie Center: January low 4°, July high 84°Turton: January low 3°, July high 84°Conde: January low 3°, July high 83°Conde: January low 3°, July high 84°Mellette: January low 4°, July high 84°Clifton: January low 4°, July high 84°Benton: January low 3°, July high 84°La Prairie: January low 3°, July high 84°Sumner: January low 3°, July high 84°Beotia: January low 3°, July high 84°Tetonka: January low 3°, July high 84° TetonkaMelletteCliftonBentonLa PrairieSumnerBeotia
ColderMilder3° to 4°
Beotia3.0° −0.4°
Benton3.1° −0.3°
La Prairie3.1° −0.3°
Sumner3.2° −0.2°
Tetonka3.4°
Mellette3.6° +0.2°
Clifton3.6° +0.2°

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

Compared with other towns

How Tetonka compares

Summer heat84° July high
Cooler than 56% of U.S. towns594th coolest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Winter cold3° January low
Colder than 92% of U.S. towns297th coldest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Precipitation22" a year
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns349th driest of 1,384 South Dakota towns
Snow34" a winter
Snowier than 62% of U.S. towns224th least snowy of 1,367 South Dakota towns
Growing season149 frost-free days
Shorter than 82% of U.S. towns692nd 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

+0.9°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Tetonka averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°). The shift is smaller than in 77% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.5° now 16°, was 14°
🌷 Spring+0.3° now 44°, was 44°
☀️ Summer+0.2° now 70°, was 70°
🍂 Fall+0.6° now 46°, was 46°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Tetonka’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. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 0° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Tetonka’s climate

What is the coldest month in Tetonka?

January, with a typical high of 23° and a low of 3°.

What is the hottest month in Tetonka?

July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 60°. About 18 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Tetonka get?

About 34 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.

When is the first frost in Tetonka?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 7.

What is the rainiest month in Tetonka?

June, with 3.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 22 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Tetonka itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Stratford 7sw, SD (10 mi, snow) and Turton, SD (12 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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