Grand River Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 85°. Temperatures cover 79° across the year, low to high. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 93% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 24; in half of years the first frost comes by September 18.
A year in Grand River Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grand River Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grand River Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Grand River Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 115 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hettinger Muni Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grand River Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 15 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 Grand River Township
96% 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 Hettinger Muni Airport.
Living with Grand River Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
115 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 24 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Grand River Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grand River Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Grand River Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Grand River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand River Township, SD | 6° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Williston, ND | 2° | 84° | 15" | 48" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| 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 Grand River Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Grand River Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grand River Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Grand River Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grand River 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 | 28° | 6° | 0.3" | 4.5" | 4 | 22 | 8° – 29° |
| February | 31° | 10° | 0.4" | 7.6" | 4 | 18 | 0° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 19° | 0.7" | 7.5" | 5 | 12 | 19° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 29° | 1.4" | 4.8" | 7 | 3 | 36° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 56° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 53° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 1.3" | 3.1" | 6 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 42° | 19° | 0.5" | 5.2" | 4 | 8 | 18° – 41° |
| December | 31° | 9° | 0.3" | 8.9" | 4 | 16 | 8° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 15.3" | 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 Grand River 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 Grand River Township’s center.
- Snow: Lemmon, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hettinger Muni Airport, 9 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 Grand River Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Grand River Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grand River Township in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 201 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 8°.
How much snow does Grand River 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 Grand River Township?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 56°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Hettinger Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Grand River Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 115 frost-free days, at Hettinger Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Grand River Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Grand River Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Grand River Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grand River 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.