Golden Valley Norwegian Lutheran Church · Photo: Justinebelden · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Horse Creek Township
Midsummer highs settle at about 85°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 93% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Horse Creek Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Horse Creek Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Horse Creek Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Horse Creek 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, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Horse Creek Township’s center in zone 4b: 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 15 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and December the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Horse Creek 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 Horse Creek Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
115 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Horse Creek Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Horse Creek Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Horse Creek Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Horse Creek Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 59% 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 Horse Creek Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Horse Creek Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Horse Creek Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Horse Creek Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 7° | 0.4" | 8° – 30° |
| February | 32° | 10° | 0.4" | 1° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 19° | 0.7" | 19° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.4" | 36° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 48° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 2.8" | 58° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 56° | 2.2" | 62° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 53° | 1.5" | 63° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.2" | 52° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 1.4" | 36° – 49° |
| November | 43° | 19° | 0.5" | 18° – 41° |
| December | 31° | 10° | 0.3" | 9° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 30° | 15.4" |
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 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Horse 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 Horse Creek Township’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hettinger Muni Airport, 13 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 Horse Creek Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Horse Creek Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 7°. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Horse Creek Township in winter?
January nights average 7°. 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 hot does it get in Horse Creek 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 Horse Creek 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 Horse Creek Township in?
Zone 4b 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 Horse Creek 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 Horse Creek Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Horse 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.