Madison Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. Temperatures cover 80° across the year, low to high. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 5, with the first autumn frost due around October 2.
A year in Madison Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Madison Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Madison Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Madison Township 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, 9 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Madison 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 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Summit 1 W, SD, falls mostly in February and 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 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Madison Township
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 Madison Township’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 Madison Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Madison Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Madison Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Township, SD | 3° | 83° | 26" | 59" |
| Ramsey, MN | 5° | 82° | 31" | 56" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
| Spencer, IA | 7° | 84° | 31" | 43" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Madison Township 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 Madison Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Madison Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Madison Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Madison Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Summit 1 W, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 0.7" | 10.2" | 6 | 28 | −1° – 26° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 0.7" | 12.4" | 6 | 24 | 4° – 29° |
| March | 40° | 20° | 1.3" | 8.8" | 6 | 18 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 2.6" | 7.8" | 8 | 6 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 77° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 35° | 2.3" | 2.0" | 8 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 22° | 1.1" | 5.4" | 5 | 8 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 27° | 10° | 0.8" | 11.9" | 7 | 23 | 4° – 27° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 25.8" | 58.6" | 93 | 107 |
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 Madison 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 Madison Township’s center.
- Snow: Summit 1 W, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Milbank, SD, 9 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Madison Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Madison Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 113 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Madison Township 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 Madison Township get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Summit 1 W, SD, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 107 days a year.
How hot does it get in Madison Township?
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 Madison Township?
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 Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison Township 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 Madison 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.