Inland Theater · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Nights turn raw in Martin each January, colder than in 90% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 86°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. If you like long walks, May, June and September offer highs of 68–79°.
A year in Martin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Martin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Martin’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Martin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Martin, SD, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Martin’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Martin, SD, falls mostly in March, April and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Martin
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 Martin, SD.
Living with Martin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 30% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Martin from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Martin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Martin yet.
Climates most like Martin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin, SD | 13° | 86° | 21" | 48" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
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 Martin averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Martin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Martin’s place among South Dakota’s.
Martin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Martin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Martin, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 13° | 0.5" | 4.7" | 4 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.6" | 7.8" | 5 | 12° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.2" | 8.8" | 5 | 24° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 2.5" | 9.0" | 8 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 3.5" | 1.8" | 9 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 79° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 59° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 57° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 48° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 5 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 35° | 1.6" | 2.4" | 6 | 39° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 23° | 0.7" | 5.7" | 3 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 36° | 15° | 0.6" | 8.1" | 3 | 16° – 33° |
| Year | 60° | 35° | 21.0" | 48.4" | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Martin’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 Martin’s center.
- Snow: Martin, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Martin, SD, 0.5 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 Martin’s climate
What is the weather like in Martin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Martin in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Martin get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Martin, SD, most of it in March, April and December.
How hot does it get in Martin?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 59°. About 32 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Martin, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Martin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 141 frost-free days, at Martin, SD.
What growing zone is Martin in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Martin?
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 Martin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Martin.
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.