Winter nights in Ardmore are colder than in 92% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 90°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 79°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 91% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, May, June and September offer highs of 70–81°.
A year in Ardmore at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ardmore’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ardmore’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ardmore feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ardmore 1 Nw, SD, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ardmore’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ardmore 1 Nw, SD, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 69 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ardmore
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ardmore 1 Nw, SD.
Living with Ardmore’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ardmore from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ardmore and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ardmore yet.
Climates most like Ardmore’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardmore, SD | 11° | 90° | 18" | 44" |
| North Logan, UT | 15° | 90° | 17" | 44" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Longmont, CO | 16° | 90° | 16" | 47" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Ardmore averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 64% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Ardmore compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ardmore’s place among South Dakota’s.
Ardmore weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ardmore’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ardmore 1 Nw, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 11° | 0.4" | 7.1" | 4 | 17 | 14° – 34° |
| February | 41° | 13° | 0.6" | 6.4" | 4 | 12 | 13° – 38° |
| March | 53° | 22° | 1.2" | 6.1" | 6 | 7 | 24° – 48° |
| April | 60° | 30° | 2.0" | 6.9" | 8 | 2 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 41° | 3.0" | 1.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 81° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| July | 90° | 57° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 55° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 79° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 63° | 32° | 1.5" | 3.6" | 5 | 2 | 39° – 53° |
| November | 49° | 20° | 0.5" | 4.8" | 3 | 8 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 39° | 11° | 0.5" | 7.8" | 4 | 15 | 16° – 33° |
| Year | 63° | 32° | 17.8" | 44.1" | 69 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ardmore’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Ardmore’s center.
- Snow: Ardmore 1 Nw, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ardmore 1 Nw, SD, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Ardmore’s climate
What is the weather like in Ardmore?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ardmore in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Ardmore get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Ardmore 1 Nw, SD, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ardmore?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 57°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Ardmore 1 Nw, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Ardmore?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 128 frost-free days, at Ardmore 1 Nw, SD.
What growing zone is Ardmore in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ardmore?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ardmore getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ardmore.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.