Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than La Bolt
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 5 to October 2.
A year in La Bolt at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Bolt’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Bolt’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in La Bolt feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Milbank, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Bolt’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 Clear Lake, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Bolt
95% 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 Milbank, SD.
Living with La Bolt’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 5 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Bolt from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Bolt and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Bolt yet.
Climates most like La Bolt’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Bolt, SD | 3° | 83° | 26" | 61" |
| Ramsey, MN | 5° | 82° | 31" | 56" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Chippewa Falls, WI | 5° | 81° | 33" | 55" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
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 La Bolt averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 La Bolt compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Bolt’s place among South Dakota’s.
La Bolt weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Bolt’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clear Lake, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 0.7" | 10.8" | 7 | 28 | −1° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 0.7" | 10.3" | 6 | 22 | 4° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 20° | 1.3" | 9.6" | 7 | 18 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 2.6" | 7.0" | 9 | 5 | 33° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 2.3" | 1.4" | 8 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 22° | 1.1" | 7.8" | 6 | 9 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 10° | 0.8" | 13.6" | 7 | 23 | 4° – 27° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 26.0" | 60.7" | 102 | 106 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where La Bolt’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 La Bolt’s center.
- Snow: Clear Lake, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Milbank, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 La Bolt’s climate
What is the weather like in La Bolt?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 61 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 127 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Bolt in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does La Bolt get?
About 61 inches in a normal winter at Clear Lake, SD, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 106 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Bolt?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Milbank, SD).
When is the first and last frost in La Bolt?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 150 frost-free days, at Milbank, SD.
What growing zone is La Bolt in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Bolt?
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 La Bolt getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Bolt.
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.