Winter nights in Buffalo are colder than in 95% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 86°. Temperatures cover 77° across the year, low to high. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 93% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Buffalo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Buffalo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Buffalo’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Buffalo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Buffalo Asos, SD, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Buffalo’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 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Redig 11 Ne, SD, falls mostly in February, March and November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Buffalo
93% 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 Buffalo Asos, SD.
Living with Buffalo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Buffalo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Buffalo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Buffalo yet.
Climates most like Buffalo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo, SD | 9° | 86° | 15" | 51" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Rigby, ID | 12° | 85° | 12" | 66" |
| Watford City, ND | 4° | 84° | 16" | 50" |
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 Buffalo averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Buffalo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Buffalo’s place among South Dakota’s.
Buffalo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Buffalo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Redig 11 Ne, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 9° | 0.3" | 6.8" | 3 | 19 | 9° – 32° |
| February | 34° | 11° | 0.4" | 8.2" | 5 | 15 | 5° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 21° | 0.6" | 8.5" | 5 | 12 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.5" | 7.5" | 6 | 3 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.7" | 2.3" | 7 | 1 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| July | 86° | 57° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 85° | 54° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 4 | 2 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 44° | 20° | 0.4" | 8.1" | 4 | 10 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 11° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 3 | 13 | 11° – 31° |
| Year | 57° | 32° | 14.8" | 51.2" | 58 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 12°.
Where Buffalo’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 Buffalo’s center.
- Snow: Redig 11 Ne, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Buffalo Asos, SD, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 Buffalo’s climate
What is the weather like in Buffalo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Buffalo in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 172 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 9°.
How much snow does Buffalo get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Redig 11 Ne, SD, most of it in February, March and November, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Buffalo?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 57°. About 30 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Buffalo Asos, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Buffalo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 141 frost-free days, at Buffalo Asos, SD.
What growing zone is Buffalo 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 Buffalo?
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 Buffalo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Buffalo.
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.