Marion’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Marion at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Marion’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Marion’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Marion feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bridgewater, SD, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Marion’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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marion, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Marion
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 Bridgewater, SD.
Living with Marion’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Marion from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Marion and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Marion in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Marion’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion, SD | 8° | 85° | 27" | 41" |
| New Ulm, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 38" |
| Carroll, IA | 10° | 84° | 34" | 35" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
| Omaha, NE | 14° | 86° | 33" | 34" |
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 Marion averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Marion compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Marion’s place among South Dakota’s.
Marion weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Marion’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marion, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 8° | 0.5" | 7.9" | 5 | 8° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 12° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 5 | 10° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 24° | 1.3" | 6.3" | 6 | 25° – 51° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 2.9" | 3.6" | 9 | 38° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 12 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 62° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 37° | 2.2" | 0.6" | 7 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 45° | 24° | 1.1" | 5.0" | 4 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 0.8" | 9.3" | 5 | 9° – 28° |
| Year | 57° | 36° | 26.8" | 40.9" | 86 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Marion’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 Marion’s center.
- Snow: Marion, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bridgewater, SD, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Marion’s climate
What is the weather like in Marion?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Marion in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Marion get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Marion, SD, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Marion?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 62°. About 19 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Bridgewater, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Marion?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 161 frost-free days, at Bridgewater, SD.
What growing zone is Marion 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 Marion?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Marion getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Marion.
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.