Marshall County Courthouse · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Britton
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. The wettest month is July; the driest is January. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Britton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Britton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Britton’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Britton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Britton, SD, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Britton’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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Britton, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Britton
95% 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 Britton, SD.
Living with Britton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 →Cold waves are 37% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Britton from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Britton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Britton yet.
Climates most like Britton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britton, SD | 2° | 82° | 24" | 45" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Britton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Britton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Britton’s place among South Dakota’s.
Britton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Britton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Britton, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 0.6" | 8.3" | 5 | −3° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.6" | 9.8" | 5 | −2° – 28° |
| March | 38° | 19° | 0.9" | 6.1" | 5 | 18° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 1.9" | 5.1" | 7 | 32° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.2" | 1.2" | 7 | 37° – 51° |
| November | 39° | 21° | 0.7" | 5.1" | 5 | 18° – 41° |
| December | 25° | 9° | 0.7" | 9.8" | 5 | 3° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 23.5" | 45.4" | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Britton’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 Britton’s center.
- Snow: Britton, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Britton, SD, 0.3 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 Britton’s climate
What is the weather like in Britton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 74 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Britton in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −3°.
How much snow does Britton get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Britton, SD, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Britton?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Britton, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Britton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 135 frost-free days, at Britton, SD.
What growing zone is Britton 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 Britton?
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 Britton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Britton.
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.