Graceville Colony sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.7° rise. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 69–83°.
A year in Graceville Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Graceville Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Graceville Colony’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Graceville Colony feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winfred 2s, SD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Graceville Colony’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Madison 2se, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Graceville Colony
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 Winfred 2s, SD.
Living with Graceville Colony’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Graceville Colony from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Graceville Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Graceville Colony yet.
Climates most like Graceville Colony’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graceville Colony, SD | 6° | 83° | 26" | 37" |
| Litchfield, MN | 4° | 82° | 28" | 41" |
| Algona, IA | 8° | 83° | 34" | 37" |
| Wahpeton, ND | 1° | 82° | 25" | 50" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
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 Graceville Colony averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Graceville Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Graceville Colony’s place among South Dakota’s.
Graceville Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Graceville Colony’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Madison 2se, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 6° | 0.5" | 5.6" | 5 | 24 | 4° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 10° | 0.8" | 8.4" | 5 | 17 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 1.3" | 5.0" | 5 | 10 | 22° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 2.7" | 4.2" | 9 | 2 | 35° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 79° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 36° | 2.2" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 22° | 1.0" | 4.9" | 4 | 4 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 29° | 11° | 0.7" | 7.8" | 5 | 15 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 56° | 34° | 26.3" | 36.8" | 87 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Graceville Colony’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 Graceville Colony’s center.
- Snow: Madison 2se, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winfred 2s, SD, 4 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Graceville Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Graceville Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Graceville Colony in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 170 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 Graceville Colony get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Madison 2se, SD, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Graceville Colony?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Winfred 2s, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Graceville Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 151 frost-free days, at Winfred 2s, SD.
What growing zone is Graceville Colony in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Graceville Colony?
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 Graceville Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Graceville Colony.
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.