Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Badus Township
Sunny July days climb to about 82°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.7° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 5, with the first autumn frost due around September 30.
A year in Badus Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Badus Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Badus Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Badus Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Madison 2se, SD, 12 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Badus Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Madison 2se, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Badus Township
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 Madison 2se, SD.
Living with Badus Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 5 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 10 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Badus Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Badus Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Badus Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Badus Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badus Township, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 37" |
| Otsego, MN | 5° | 82° | 31" | 36" |
| Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
| Menomonie, WI | 5° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
| Algona, IA | 8° | 83° | 34" | 37" |
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 Badus Township averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Badus Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Badus Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Badus Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Badus Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Madison 2se, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 5° | 0.6" | 5.6" | 5 | 24 | 2° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 9° | 0.8" | 8.4" | 5 | 17 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 21° | 1.3" | 5.0" | 5 | 10 | 21° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 2.6" | 4.2" | 9 | 2 | 35° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 2.1" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 22° | 1.0" | 4.9" | 4 | 4 | 21° – 42° |
| December | 28° | 11° | 0.8" | 7.8" | 5 | 15 | 5° – 26° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 26.5" | 36.8" | 87 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Badus Township’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 Badus Township’s center.
- Snow: Madison 2se, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Madison 2se, SD, 12 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; 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 Badus Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Badus Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Badus Township in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 170 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 Badus Township get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Madison 2se, SD, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Badus Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Madison 2se, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Badus Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 148 frost-free days, at Madison 2se, SD.
What growing zone is Badus Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Badus Township?
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 Badus Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Badus Township.
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.