Ipswich State Bank · Photo: Empire Art Company · Public domainIpswich sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 83°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.4° higher. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Ipswich at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ipswich’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ipswich’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ipswich feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ipswich, SD, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ipswich’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ipswich, SD, falls mostly in February. 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 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ipswich
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 Ipswich, SD.
Living with Ipswich’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 8 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 35% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ipswich from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ipswich and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ipswich yet.
Climates most like Ipswich’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich, SD | 3° | 83° | 21" | 34" |
| Dickinson, ND | 5° | 83° | 16" | 35" |
| Sidney, MT | 4° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
| Montevideo, MN | 4° | 83° | 28" | 46" |
| Sioux Center, IA | 8° | 84° | 29" | 35" |
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 Ipswich averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in all but 131 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 Ipswich compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ipswich’s place among South Dakota’s.
Ipswich weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ipswich’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ipswich, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 0.5" | 6.0" | 4 | 24 | 1° – 28° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 0.6" | 6.8" | 4 | 19 | 1° – 29° |
| March | 40° | 19° | 0.9" | 5.4" | 5 | 13 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 31° | 1.9" | 4.0" | 6 | 4 | 34° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 59° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 57° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 47° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 34° | 1.8" | 1.1" | 5 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 20° | 0.6" | 4.7" | 3 | 6 | 17° – 40° |
| December | 27° | 9° | 0.6" | 5.7" | 4 | 16 | 4° – 27° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 20.8" | 33.7" | 64 | 83 |
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 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Ipswich’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 Ipswich’s center.
- Snow: Ipswich, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ipswich, SD, 0.5 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 Ipswich’s climate
What is the weather like in Ipswich?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 118 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ipswich in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Ipswich get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Ipswich, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 83 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ipswich?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 59°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Ipswich, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Ipswich?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 143 frost-free days, at Ipswich, SD.
What growing zone is Ipswich in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ipswich?
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 Ipswich getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 131 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ipswich.
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.