Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0Arlington has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 82°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Arlington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Arlington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Arlington’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Arlington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Arlington 1 W, SD, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Arlington’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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Brookings 2 Ne, SD, falls mostly in February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Arlington
93% 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 Arlington 1 W, SD.
Living with Arlington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Arlington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Arlington and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Arlington in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Arlington’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington, SD | 5° | 82° | 26" | 36" |
| Otsego, MN | 5° | 82° | 31" | 36" |
| Storm Lake, IA | 9° | 83° | 31" | 31" |
| Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
| Menomonie, WI | 5° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Arlington averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Arlington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Arlington’s place among South Dakota’s.
Arlington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Arlington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Brookings 2 Ne, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 5° | 0.6" | 5.5" | 6 | 24 | 2° – 27° |
| February | 28° | 9° | 0.8" | 7.1" | 6 | 18 | 5° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 21° | 1.3" | 6.4" | 7 | 12 | 19° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 2.5" | 4.1" | 10 | 3 | 34° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 78° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.2" | 1.1" | 8 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 22° | 1.0" | 4.7" | 5 | 7 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 10° | 0.8" | 6.8" | 6 | 19 | 5° – 25° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 26.3" | 35.8" | 99 | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Arlington’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 Arlington’s center.
- Snow: Brookings 2 Ne, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Arlington 1 W, SD, 1.8 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 Arlington’s climate
What is the weather like in Arlington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Arlington in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Arlington get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Brookings 2 Ne, SD, most of it in February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 83 days a year.
How hot does it get in Arlington?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Arlington 1 W, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Arlington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 151 frost-free days, at Arlington 1 W, SD.
What growing zone is Arlington 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 Arlington?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Arlington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Arlington.
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.