Holy Trinity Church · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Nights turn raw in Kimball each January, colder than in 95% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 87°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. Tender plants can go out after about May 3; in half of years the first frost comes by October 5.
A year in Kimball at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kimball’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kimball’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Kimball feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at White Lake, SD, 15 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kimball’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at White Lake, SD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kimball
91% 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 White Lake, SD.
Living with Kimball’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 60% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kimball from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kimball and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Kimball in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kimball’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimball, SD | 9° | 87° | 24" | 38" |
| Sioux City, IA | 10° | 86° | 29" | 36" |
| Schuyler, NE | 13° | 87° | 29" | 36" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
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 Kimball averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
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 Kimball compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kimball’s place among South Dakota’s.
Kimball weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kimball’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from White Lake, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 9° | 0.5" | 7.1" | 3 | 16 | 10° – 35° |
| February | 34° | 13° | 0.7" | 8.4" | 4 | 13 | 9° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 23° | 1.1" | 5.2" | 4 | 7 | 23° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 34° | 2.6" | 5.4" | 7 | 3 | 36° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 80° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 87° | 61° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 60° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 50° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| October | 61° | 37° | 1.9" | 0.8" | 5 | 1 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 23° | 0.7" | 3.7" | 3 | 5 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 32° | 14° | 0.6" | 7.1" | 3 | 13 | 11° – 30° |
| Year | 58° | 35° | 23.7" | 37.7" | 60 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Kimball’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 Kimball’s center.
- Snow: White Lake, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: White Lake, SD, 15 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower; 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 Kimball’s climate
What is the weather like in Kimball?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kimball in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Kimball get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at White Lake, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kimball?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 61°. About 26 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (White Lake, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Kimball?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 153 frost-free days, at White Lake, SD.
What growing zone is Kimball in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kimball?
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 Kimball 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 Kimball.
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.