White Butte, SD climate
White Butte has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in White Butte feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
White Butte 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 | 27° | 7° | 0.3" | 4.5" | 4 | 22 | 7° – 29° |
| February | 31° | 10° | 0.4" | 7.6" | 4 | 18 | 0° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 20° | 0.7" | 7.5" | 5 | 12 | 19° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.4" | 4.8" | 7 | 3 | 36° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 3.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 57° | 2.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 1.7" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.3" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 31° | 1.4" | 3.1" | 6 | 2 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 42° | 19° | 0.5" | 5.2" | 4 | 8 | 18° – 41° |
| December | 30° | 10° | 0.3" | 8.9" | 4 | 16 | 8° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 16.0" | 42.3" | 73 | 80 |
“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 White Butte
White Butte gets 16 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 80 days of the year.
About 115 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first one by September 18. That leaves about 115 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in White Butte
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In White Butte, 96% of that work is heating and 4% 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.
White Butte and its neighbors
White Butte borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Gilstrap has the coldest January nights (6°) and Liberty the hottest July afternoons (85°). White Butte’s January low is 7° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How White Butte 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 White Butte averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°). The shift is larger than in 69% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at White Butte’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 0° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about White Butte’s climate
What is the coldest month in White Butte?
January, with a typical high of 27° and a low of 7°.
What is the hottest month in White Butte?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 57°. About 24 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does White Butte get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in White Butte?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 18, and the last spring frost by May 24.
What is the rainiest month in White Butte?
June, with 3.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for White Butte itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lemmon, SD (11 mi, snow) and Hettinger Municipal Airport, ND (14 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.