Chamberlain Bridge · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Chamberlain’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Chamberlain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chamberlain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chamberlain’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Chamberlain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chamberlain 5 S, SD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chamberlain’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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chamberlain 5 S, SD, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chamberlain
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 Chamberlain 5 S, SD.
Living with Chamberlain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 83% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chamberlain from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chamberlain and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Chamberlain in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chamberlain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain, SD | 10° | 88° | 23" | 43" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Sioux City, IA | 10° | 86° | 29" | 36" |
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 Chamberlain averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Chamberlain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chamberlain’s place among South Dakota’s.
Chamberlain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chamberlain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chamberlain 5 S, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 10° | 0.5" | 7.3" | 6 | 18 | 11° – 36° |
| February | 35° | 13° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 6 | 12 | 9° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 24° | 1.0" | 7.2" | 6 | 10 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 34° | 2.5" | 6.8" | 10 | 2 | 38° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 88° | 62° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 51° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 1.8" | 1.4" | 7 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 24° | 0.7" | 5.1" | 5 | 5 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 34° | 14° | 0.5" | 7.5" | 6 | 15 | 11° – 30° |
| Year | 60° | 36° | 22.6" | 43.3" | 93 | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Chamberlain’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 Chamberlain’s center.
- Snow: Chamberlain 5 S, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chamberlain 5 S, SD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Chamberlain’s climate
What is the weather like in Chamberlain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chamberlain in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Chamberlain get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Chamberlain 5 S, SD, most of it in January, February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chamberlain?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 62°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Chamberlain 5 S, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Chamberlain?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 156 frost-free days, at Chamberlain 5 S, SD.
What growing zone is Chamberlain 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 Chamberlain?
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 Chamberlain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chamberlain.
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.