Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Laketon Township
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Laketon Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Laketon Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Laketon Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Laketon Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Arlington 1 W, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Laketon Township’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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hayti, 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 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Laketon Township
93% 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 Arlington 1 W, SD.
Living with Laketon Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Laketon Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Laketon Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Laketon Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Laketon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laketon Township, SD | 4° | 82° | 26" | 34" |
| Elk River, MN | 5° | 82° | 31" | 36" |
| Fargo, ND | 0° | 82° | 24" | 51" |
| Storm Lake, IA | 9° | 83° | 31" | 31" |
| Menomonie, WI | 5° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
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 Laketon Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Laketon Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Laketon Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Laketon Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Laketon Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hayti, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 4° | 0.6" | 5.4" | 4 | 26 | 1° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 8° | 0.7" | 6.9" | 4 | 22 | 4° – 29° |
| March | 40° | 20° | 1.3" | 5.2" | 5 | 16 | 19° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 2.4" | 3.8" | 8 | 4 | 33° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.1" | 0.8" | 7 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 21° | 1.0" | 2.0" | 3 | 4 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 10° | 0.8" | 9.9" | 4 | 18 | 5° – 25° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 25.8" | 34.0" | 83 | 91 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Laketon 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 Laketon Township’s center.
- Snow: Hayti, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Arlington 1 W, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Laketon Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Laketon Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 145 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Laketon Township in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Laketon Township get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Hayti, SD, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 91 days a year.
How hot does it get in Laketon Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Arlington 1 W, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Laketon Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 151 frost-free days, at Arlington 1 W, SD.
What growing zone is Laketon Township 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 Laketon Township?
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 Laketon Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Laketon 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.