Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Bath
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 84°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in January. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 89% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 69–84° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Bath at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bath’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bath’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Bath feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Aberdeen, SD, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bath’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bath 1ne, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bath
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 Aberdeen, SD.
Living with Bath’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 26.
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 Bath from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bath and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bath yet.
Climates most like Bath’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 42" |
| Mandan, ND | 3° | 84° | 18" | 51" |
| Willmar, MN | 4° | 82° | 29" | 46" |
| Sidney, MT | 4° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
| Sheldon, IA | 7° | 84° | 30" | 41" |
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 Bath averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Bath compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bath’s place among South Dakota’s.
Bath weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bath’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bath 1ne, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 0.5" | 6.1" | 6 | −1° – 27° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 0.6" | 7.7" | 6 | 2° – 29° |
| March | 40° | 20° | 0.9" | 7.6" | 6 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 32° | 1.9" | 5.0" | 7 | 34° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 60° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 57° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 47° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 34° | 2.0" | 1.9" | 7 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 21° | 0.7" | 3.2" | 4 | 18° – 41° |
| December | 27° | 9° | 0.6" | 10.0" | 6 | 4° – 26° |
| Year | 55° | 32° | 21.7" | 41.5" | 84 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Bath’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 Bath’s center.
- Snow: Bath 1ne, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Aberdeen, SD, 4 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 Bath’s climate
What is the weather like in Bath?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 88 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bath in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 39 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Bath get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Bath 1ne, SD, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Bath?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 60°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Aberdeen, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Bath?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 139 frost-free days, at Aberdeen, SD.
What growing zone is Bath in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bath?
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 Bath getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bath.
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.