Winter nights in Ideal Township are colder than in 92% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 89°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 71–81°, belongs to May, June and September.
A year in Ideal Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ideal Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ideal Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ideal Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winner, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ideal Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Winner, SD, falls mostly in April and December. 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 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ideal Township
87% 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 Winner, SD.
Living with Ideal Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 1 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ideal Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ideal Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ideal Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ideal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ideal Township, SD | 12° | 89° | 21" | 49" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| Chadron, NE | 14° | 89° | 18" | 50" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Longmont, CO | 16° | 90° | 16" | 47" |
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 Ideal Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Ideal Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ideal Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Ideal Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ideal Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Winner, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 12° | 0.4" | 7.2" | 5 | 15 | 14° – 37° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.5" | 6.9" | 4 | 7 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.0" | 8.3" | 6 | 4 | 24° – 51° |
| April | 60° | 34° | 2.5" | 9.2" | 8 | 2 | 39° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 62° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 60° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 50° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 37° | 1.7" | 1.9" | 6 | 1 | 42° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 25° | 0.6" | 6.0" | 4 | 2 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 35° | 15° | 0.5" | 9.6" | 4 | 11 | 13° – 31° |
| Year | 61° | 36° | 21.2" | 49.1" | 73 | 42 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 51°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ideal 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 Ideal Township’s center.
- Snow: Winner, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winner, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Ideal Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ideal Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ideal Township in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Ideal Township get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Winner, SD, most of it in April and December, with snow on the ground about 42 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ideal Township?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 62°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Winner, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Ideal Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 159 frost-free days, at Winner, SD.
What growing zone is Ideal Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ideal 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 Ideal Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ideal 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.