Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Colman
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.6° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 5, with the first autumn frost due around October 1.
A year in Colman at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Colman’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Colman’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Colman feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Flandreau, SD, 12 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Colman’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 Chester 2n, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 90 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Colman
94% 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 Flandreau, SD.
Living with Colman’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 5 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, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Colman from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Colman and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Colman yet.
Climates most like Colman’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colman, SD | 6° | 82° | 27" | 43" |
| St. Michael, MN | 5° | 82° | 31" | 45" |
| Waupaca, WI | 8° | 82° | 32" | 49" |
| Wahpeton, ND | 1° | 82° | 25" | 50" |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 9° | 83° | 34" | 39" |
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 Colman averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Colman compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Colman’s place among South Dakota’s.
Colman weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Colman’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chester 2n, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 6° | 0.6" | 5.4" | 6 | 25 | 4° – 29° |
| February | 29° | 10° | 0.8" | 7.7" | 6 | 20 | 6° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 22° | 1.4" | 7.1" | 6 | 14 | 21° – 47° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 2.7" | 6.6" | 8 | 3 | 35° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 2.1" | 1.5" | 8 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 23° | 1.1" | 3.2" | 4 | 4 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 28° | 12° | 0.8" | 10.6" | 7 | 19 | 6° – 26° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 27.4" | 42.5" | 90 | 85 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 47°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Colman’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 Colman’s center.
- Snow: Chester 2n, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Flandreau, SD, 12 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; 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 Colman’s climate
What is the weather like in Colman?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Colman in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 177 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 4°.
How much snow does Colman get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Chester 2n, SD, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 85 days a year.
How hot does it get in Colman?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Flandreau, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Colman?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 148 frost-free days, at Flandreau, SD.
What growing zone is Colman in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Colman?
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 Colman getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Colman.
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.