Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than McIntosh
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 84° on average. June is the wettest month, January the driest. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 91% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 9 to September 30.
A year in McIntosh at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McIntosh’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McIntosh’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in McIntosh feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD, 7 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts McIntosh’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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD, falls mostly in February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McIntosh
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD.
Living with McIntosh’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 70% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McIntosh from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McIntosh and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McIntosh yet.
Climates most like McIntosh’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McIntosh, SD | 5° | 84° | 18" | 43" |
| Watford City, ND | 4° | 84° | 16" | 50" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Montevideo, MN | 4° | 83° | 28" | 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 McIntosh averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 McIntosh compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McIntosh’s place among South Dakota’s.
McIntosh weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McIntosh’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 5° | 0.4" | 7.2" | 5 | 24 | 4° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 9° | 0.5" | 8.2" | 5 | 20 | −1° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 20° | 0.8" | 7.4" | 5 | 13 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.5" | 4.9" | 7 | 4 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 57° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 55° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 46° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 33° | 1.5" | 2.6" | 6 | 2 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 20° | 0.5" | 5.0" | 4 | 9 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 28° | 10° | 0.5" | 7.4" | 5 | 17 | 7° – 28° |
| Year | 55° | 31° | 18.0" | 43.3" | 76 | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where McIntosh’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 McIntosh’s center.
- Snow: Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD, 7 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 McIntosh’s climate
What is the weather like in McIntosh?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McIntosh in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 176 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 4°.
How much snow does McIntosh get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD, most of it in February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 89 days a year.
How hot does it get in McIntosh?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 57°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD).
When is the first and last frost in McIntosh?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 143 frost-free days, at Mc Intosh 6 Se, SD.
What growing zone is McIntosh 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 McIntosh?
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 McIntosh getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McIntosh.
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.