Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0January in Midland bites harder than in 94% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 90°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 12, with the first autumn frost due around September 28.
A year in Midland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Midland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Midland’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Midland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 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 Midland, SD, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Midland’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 18 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Midland
90% 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 Midland, SD.
Living with Midland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 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 and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Midland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Midland and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Midland yet.
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 Midland averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Midland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Midland’s place among South Dakota’s.
Midland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Midland’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 9° | 0.4" | 11° – 35° |
| February | 37° | 13° | 0.6" | 7° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 23° | 0.9" | 24° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 32° | 2.0" | 39° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 3.2" | 51° – 63° |
| June | 81° | 55° | 3.2" | 63° – 73° |
| July | 90° | 61° | 2.4" | 65° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 58° | 1.9" | 66° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.3" | 57° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 34° | 1.5" | 40° – 54° |
| November | 47° | 22° | 0.5" | 24° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 12° | 0.4" | 13° – 32° |
| Year | 61° | 34° | 18.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Midland’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 Midland’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Midland, SD, 0.4 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 Midland’s climate
What is the weather like in Midland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 9°. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Midland in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How hot does it get in Midland?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 61°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Midland, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Midland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 138 frost-free days, at Midland, SD.
What growing zone is Midland 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 Midland?
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 Midland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Midland.
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.