Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Flat Creek Township
Midsummer highs settle at about 85°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 78°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 92% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside for May, June and September, when highs sit at 67–77°.
A year in Flat Creek Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Flat Creek Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Flat Creek Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Flat Creek Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lemmon, SD, 6 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Flat Creek 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lemmon, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Flat Creek Township
92% 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 Lemmon, SD.
Living with Flat Creek Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 10 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 3.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Flat Creek Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Flat Creek Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Flat Creek Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Flat Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Creek Township, SD | 7° | 85° | 17" | 42" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Williston, ND | 2° | 84° | 15" | 48" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
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 Flat Creek Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
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 Flat Creek Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Flat Creek Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Flat Creek Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Flat Creek Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lemmon, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 7° | 0.3" | 4.5" | 4 | 22 | 7° – 29° |
| February | 31° | 10° | 0.5" | 7.6" | 4 | 18 | 0° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 20° | 0.7" | 7.5" | 5 | 12 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.5" | 4.8" | 7 | 3 | 36° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.7" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 57° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 55° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 1.5" | 3.1" | 6 | 2 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 42° | 20° | 0.5" | 5.2" | 4 | 8 | 18° – 42° |
| December | 30° | 10° | 0.4" | 8.9" | 4 | 16 | 8° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 16.8" | 42.3" | 73 | 80 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Flat Creek 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 Flat Creek Township’s center.
- Snow: Lemmon, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lemmon, SD, 6 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Flat Creek Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Flat Creek Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Flat Creek Township in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Flat Creek Township get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Lemmon, SD, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 80 days a year.
How hot does it get in Flat Creek Township?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 57°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Lemmon, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Flat Creek Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 142 frost-free days, at Lemmon, SD.
What growing zone is Flat Creek 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 Flat Creek Township?
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 Flat Creek Township 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 Flat Creek 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.