Ellisville Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ellisville Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ellisville Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ellisville Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ellisville Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Highmore 23 N, SD, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ellisville Township’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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Seneca, SD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ellisville Township
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 Highmore 23 N, SD.
Living with Ellisville Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 14 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: May, June, July, August and September. 7.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 42% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ellisville Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ellisville Township and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ellisville Township yet.
Climates most like Ellisville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellisville Township, SD | 5° | 84° | 21" | 43" |
| Dickinson, ND | 5° | 83° | 16" | 35" |
| Montevideo, MN | 4° | 83° | 28" | 46" |
| Sidney, MT | 4° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
| Sheldon, IA | 7° | 84° | 30" | 41" |
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 Ellisville Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Ellisville Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ellisville Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Ellisville Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ellisville Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Seneca, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 5° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 4 | 4° – 30° |
| February | 28° | 9° | 0.6" | 10.9" | 6 | 1° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 20° | 0.8" | 6.2" | 5 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.9" | 5.9" | 8 | 34° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 84° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 82° | 56° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 47° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 34° | 1.8" | 1.2" | 6 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 21° | 0.6" | 2.8" | 4 | 19° – 41° |
| December | 28° | 10° | 0.5" | 9.3" | 4 | 5° – 28° |
| Year | 55° | 32° | 20.6" | 42.9" | 74 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Ellisville 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 Ellisville Township’s center.
- Snow: Seneca, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Highmore 23 N, SD, 6 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 Ellisville Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ellisville Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ellisville Township in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Ellisville Township get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Seneca, SD, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Ellisville Township?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 58°. About 25 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Highmore 23 N, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Ellisville Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 138 frost-free days, at Highmore 23 N, SD.
What growing zone is Ellisville Township 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 Ellisville Township?
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 Ellisville Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ellisville 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.