Photo: Spencer · CC BY-SA 2.5McLaughlin sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. The wettest month is June; the driest is January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 90% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in McLaughlin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McLaughlin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McLaughlin’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in McLaughlin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mc Laughlin, SD, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McLaughlin’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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mc Laughlin, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 65 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McLaughlin
94% 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 Laughlin, SD.
Living with McLaughlin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 68% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McLaughlin from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McLaughlin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McLaughlin yet.
Climates most like McLaughlin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaughlin, SD | 5° | 85° | 19" | 35" |
| Sidney, MT | 4° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
| Watford City, ND | 4° | 84° | 16" | 50" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
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 McLaughlin averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 McLaughlin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McLaughlin’s place among South Dakota’s.
McLaughlin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McLaughlin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mc Laughlin, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 5° | 0.4" | 7.5" | 3 | 3° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 9° | 0.6" | 6.5" | 4 | 0° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 20° | 0.8" | 3.7" | 4 | 20° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.6" | 2.1" | 6 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 78° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 64° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 56° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 33° | 1.7" | 0.7" | 4 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 20° | 0.5" | 4.0" | 3 | 19° – 41° |
| December | 29° | 10° | 0.5" | 10.2" | 4 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 32° | 19.1" | 34.9" | 65 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where McLaughlin’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 McLaughlin’s center.
- Snow: Mc Laughlin, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mc Laughlin, SD, 0.2 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 McLaughlin’s climate
What is the weather like in McLaughlin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McLaughlin in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does McLaughlin get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Mc Laughlin, SD, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in McLaughlin?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 58°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Mc Laughlin, SD).
When is the first and last frost in McLaughlin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 137 frost-free days, at Mc Laughlin, SD.
What growing zone is McLaughlin 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 McLaughlin?
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 McLaughlin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McLaughlin.
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.