Winter nights in Chester Township are colder than in 94% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. Rain follows the seasons: June brings about 7.0 times as much as January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 71–84°, runs through May, June, August and September.
A year in Chester Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chester Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chester Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Chester Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Armour, SD, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chester Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Armour, SD, falls mostly in January, March and November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chester Township
88% 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 Armour, SD.
Living with Chester Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 4.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 32% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chester Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chester Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Chester Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chester Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Township, SD | 10° | 87° | 25" | 34" |
| Grand Island, NE | 15° | 87° | 27" | 28" |
| Cherokee, IA | 8° | 84° | 31" | 38" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
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 Chester Township averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Chester Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chester Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Chester Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chester Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Armour, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 10° | 0.5" | 6.1" | 4 | 19 | 11° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 14° | 0.8" | 5.5" | 5 | 11 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 47° | 24° | 1.2" | 6.3" | 5 | 8 | 25° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 2.9" | 4.1" | 9 | 1 | 38° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 62° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 83° |
| August | 84° | 60° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 51° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 2.0" | 1.2" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 24° | 0.9" | 6.1" | 4 | 6 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 33° | 14° | 0.7" | 5.1" | 3 | 13 | 11° – 29° |
| Year | 59° | 36° | 25.2" | 34.4" | 76 | 57 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Chester Township’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 Chester Township’s center.
- Snow: Armour, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Armour, SD, 4 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 Chester Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Chester Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chester Township in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Chester Township get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Armour, SD, most of it in January, March and November, with snow on the ground about 57 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chester Township?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 62°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Armour, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Chester Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 157 frost-free days, at Armour, SD.
What growing zone is Chester Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chester Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Chester Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chester Township.
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.