Beck-Highland Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 86°. Only 79° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 91% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 11; autumn frost returns near September 28.
A year in Beck-Highland Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Beck-Highland Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Beck-Highland Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Beck-Highland Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Zeona 10 Ssw, SD, 20 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Beck-Highland Township’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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bison, SD, falls mostly in February. 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 57 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Beck-Highland Township
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Zeona 10 Ssw, SD.
Living with Beck-Highland Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 11 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Beck-Highland Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Beck-Highland Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Beck-Highland Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Beck-Highland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beck-Highland Township, SD | 8° | 86° | 18" | 40" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
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 Beck-Highland Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Beck-Highland Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Beck-Highland Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Beck-Highland Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Beck-Highland Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bison, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 8° | 0.4" | 5.6" | 3 | 9° – 32° |
| February | 33° | 11° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 4 | 3° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 21° | 0.8" | 7.0" | 4 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 30° | 1.6" | 5.4" | 6 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 3.4" | 0.7" | 7 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 78° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 86° | 57° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 86° | 55° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 64° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 45° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 32° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 4 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 44° | 20° | 0.5" | 4.1" | 3 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 10° | 0.4" | 5.9" | 3 | 10° – 31° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 17.5" | 39.7" | 57 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Beck-Highland 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 Beck-Highland Township’s center.
- Snow: Bison, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Zeona 10 Ssw, SD, 20 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 Beck-Highland Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Beck-Highland Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Beck-Highland Township in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Beck-Highland Township get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Bison, SD, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Beck-Highland Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 57°. About 31 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Zeona 10 Ssw, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Beck-Highland Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 137 frost-free days, at Zeona 10 Ssw, SD.
What growing zone is Beck-Highland Township 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 Beck-Highland Township?
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 Beck-Highland Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Beck-Highland 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.