Nights turn raw in Belvidere each January, colder than in 92% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 89° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 90% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around May 12; autumn frost returns near September 28.
A year in Belvidere at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Belvidere’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Belvidere’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Belvidere feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Midland, SD, 17 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Belvidere’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 Cedar Butte, SD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Belvidere
90% 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 Midland, SD.
Living with Belvidere’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 12 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. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Belvidere from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Belvidere and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Belvidere yet.
Climates most like Belvidere’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belvidere, SD | 12° | 89° | 19" | 40" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| North Platte, NE | 14° | 89° | 21" | 28" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
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 Belvidere averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Belvidere compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Belvidere’s place among South Dakota’s.
Belvidere weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Belvidere’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cedar Butte, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 12° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 4 | 13 | 14° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 5 | 12 | 9° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.0" | 6.0" | 4 | 6 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 2.2" | 5.6" | 9 | 2 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 81° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 61° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 59° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 49° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 36° | 1.6" | 1.6" | 6 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 23° | 0.6" | 5.1" | 4 | 7 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.5" | 6.7" | 4 | 14 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 19.3" | 40.0" | 79 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Belvidere’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 Belvidere’s center.
- Snow: Cedar Butte, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Midland, SD, 17 miles from the town’s center, 440 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 Belvidere’s climate
What is the weather like in Belvidere?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Belvidere in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Belvidere get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Cedar Butte, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Belvidere?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 61°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Midland, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Belvidere?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 138 frost-free days, at Midland, SD.
What growing zone is Belvidere in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Belvidere?
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 Belvidere getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Belvidere.
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.