Upper Red Owl, SD climate
Upper Red Owl has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Upper Red Owl feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Upper Red Owl 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 10° | 0.5" | 5.0" | 4 | 11° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 13° | 0.6" | 6.7" | 4 | 5° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 22° | 1.0" | 8.3" | 5 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 1.9" | 7.5" | 8 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 3.6" | 1.7" | 10 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 78° | 52° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 86° | 58° | 2.5" | 0 | 8 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 85° | 56° | 1.5" | 0 | 6 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 45° | 1.2" | 0 | 5 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 33° | 1.5" | 3.0" | 5 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 46° | 21° | 0.6" | 6.2" | 4 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 35° | 12° | 0.6" | 9.1" | 4 | 11° – 32° |
| Year | 58° | 33° | 18.5" | 47.5" | 71 |
“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 Upper Red Owl
Upper Red Owl gets 19 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 71 days a year.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first one by September 26. That leaves about 131 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 94% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Upper Red Owl
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Upper Red Owl, 94% of that work is heating and 6% 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.
How Upper Red Owl 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 Upper Red Owl averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°). The shift is smaller than in 53% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Upper Red Owl’s spot on NOAA’s grid
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 5° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Upper Red Owl’s climate
What is the coldest month in Upper Red Owl?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 10°.
What is the hottest month in Upper Red Owl?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 58°. About 26 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Upper Red Owl get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Upper Red Owl?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 26, and the last spring frost by May 16.
What is the rainiest month in Upper Red Owl?
May, with 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 19 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Upper Red Owl itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Red Owl, SD (5 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.