January in Johnson Siding bites harder than in 89% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 81°. May is the wettest month, January the driest. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 89% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 28; in half of years the first frost comes by September 18.
A year in Johnson Siding at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Johnson Siding’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Johnson Siding’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Johnson Siding feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 112 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pactola Dam, SD, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Johnson Siding’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 61 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pactola Dam, SD, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Johnson Siding
98% 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 Pactola Dam, SD.
Living with Johnson Siding’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
112 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 28 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, July, August and September. 9.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Johnson Siding from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Johnson Siding and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Johnson Siding yet.
Climates most like Johnson Siding’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Siding, SD | 13° | 81° | 22" | 61" |
| Whitefish, MT | 17° | 82° | 18" | 63" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Johnson Siding averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Johnson Siding compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Johnson Siding’s place among South Dakota’s.
Johnson Siding weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Johnson Siding’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pactola Dam, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 13° | 0.4" | 5.7" | 6 | 18 | 17° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.6" | 8.2" | 7 | 15 | 11° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 22° | 1.2" | 10.5" | 8 | 11 | 22° – 45° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 2.4" | 12.8" | 10 | 8 | 34° – 47° |
| May | 63° | 39° | 4.2" | 4.5" | 13 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| June | 74° | 48° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 54° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 52° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 32° | 1.6" | 6.3" | 7 | 4 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 46° | 22° | 0.6" | 6.5" | 5 | 8 | 25° – 43° |
| December | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 5.4" | 5 | 15 | 17° – 32° |
| Year | 57° | 32° | 21.6" | 60.9" | 103 | 80 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Johnson Siding’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 Johnson Siding’s center.
- Snow: Pactola Dam, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pactola Dam, SD, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Johnson Siding’s climate
What is the weather like in Johnson Siding?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 61 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Johnson Siding in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 212 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Johnson Siding get?
About 61 inches in a normal winter at Pactola Dam, SD, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 80 days a year.
How hot does it get in Johnson Siding?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 54°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Pactola Dam, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Johnson Siding?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 112 frost-free days, at Pactola Dam, SD.
What growing zone is Johnson Siding in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Johnson Siding?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Johnson Siding getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Johnson Siding.
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.