St. Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Central City gets about 184 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 29 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 81°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to September, with highs of 70–81°.
A year in Central City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Central City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Central City’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Central City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lead, SD, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Central City’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 184 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lead, SD, is heaviest from February through April, about 28 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Central City
94% 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 Lead, SD.
Living with Central City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Central City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Central City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Central City yet.
Climates most like Central City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central City, SD | 14° | 81° | 31" | 184" |
| Truckee, CA | 19° | 82° | 35" | 183" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Edwards, CO | 11° | 79° | 20" | 189" |
| Eden, NY | 17° | 81° | 41" | 168" |
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 Central City averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Central City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Central City’s place among South Dakota’s.
Central City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Central City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lead, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 14° | 1.5" | 24.8" | 11 | 28 | 16° – 34° |
| February | 37° | 14° | 1.7" | 26.2" | 11 | 23 | 9° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 21° | 2.2" | 27.6" | 11 | 20 | 22° – 44° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 3.5" | 29.0" | 13 | 8 | 33° – 46° |
| May | 62° | 37° | 5.0" | 6.7" | 14 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| June | 73° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.9" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 54° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 43° | 1.9" | 1.8" | 8 | 1 | 50° – 62° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 2.9" | 19.3" | 11 | 5 | 34° – 50° |
| November | 45° | 21° | 1.5" | 22.3" | 10 | 14 | 23° – 43° |
| December | 37° | 15° | 1.5" | 25.3" | 10 | 21 | 16° – 31° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 30.6" | 183.9" | 133 | 120 |
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 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Central City’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 Central City’s center.
- Snow: Lead, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lead, SD, 1.7 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 Central City’s climate
What is the weather like in Central City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 184 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Central City in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Central City get?
About 184 inches in a normal winter at Lead, SD, heaviest from February through April, about 28 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 120 days a year.
How hot does it get in Central City?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 54°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Lead, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Central City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 133 frost-free days, at Lead, SD.
What growing zone is Central City in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Central City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Central City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Central City.
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.