McKinley Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 80°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 94% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in January. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in McKinley Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McKinley Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McKinley Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in McKinley Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Roy Lake, SD, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McKinley Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 Roy Lake, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McKinley 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 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 Roy Lake, SD.
Living with McKinley Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 2 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 37% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McKinley Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McKinley Township and its neighbors
Veblen Township has the coldest January nights next door (2°, 2° colder) and Bossko Township the hottest July afternoons (82°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like McKinley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley Township, SD | 4° | 80° | 25" | 48" |
| Brainerd, MN | 1° | 80° | 29" | 48" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Antigo, WI | 5° | 79° | 32" | 54" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
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 McKinley Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 McKinley Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McKinley Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
McKinley Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McKinley Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Roy Lake, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 4° | 0.7" | 6.6" | 5 | −3° – 25° |
| February | 23° | 7° | 0.8" | 9.2" | 5 | 0° – 27° |
| March | 36° | 19° | 1.2" | 7.0" | 5 | 17° – 41° |
| April | 52° | 32° | 2.2" | 7.2" | 7 | 31° – 50° |
| May | 65° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.2" | 11 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 49° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 36° | 2.4" | 2.5" | 7 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 0.9" | 4.3" | 4 | 17° – 41° |
| December | 24° | 10° | 0.8" | 11.1" | 6 | 2° – 25° |
| Year | 51° | 33° | 25.3" | 48.1" | 84 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -3° to 25°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where McKinley 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 McKinley Township’s center.
- Snow: Roy Lake, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Roy Lake, SD, 10 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 McKinley Township’s climate
What is the weather like in McKinley Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 142 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McKinley Township in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 43 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −3°.
How much snow does McKinley Township get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Roy Lake, SD, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in McKinley Township?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 60°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Roy Lake, SD).
When is the first and last frost in McKinley Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 160 frost-free days, at Roy Lake, SD.
What growing zone is McKinley Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit McKinley 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 McKinley Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McKinley 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.