New Effington Hospital · Photo: Betsy Armour · CC BY-SA 4.0New Effington has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about May 4; in half of years the first frost comes by October 3.
A year in New Effington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about New Effington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with New Effington’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in New Effington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Victor 4 N, SD, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts New Effington’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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Victor 4 N, SD, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in New Effington
95% 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 Victor 4 N, SD.
Living with New Effington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 4 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in New Effington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →New Effington and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around New Effington yet.
Climates most like New Effington’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Effington, SD | 2° | 82° | 24" | 49" |
| Glencoe, MN | 5° | 82° | 30" | 50" |
| Bismarck, ND | 3° | 84° | 18" | 51" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 New Effington averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 New Effington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with New Effington’s place among South Dakota’s.
New Effington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at New Effington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Victor 4 N, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 2° | 0.7" | 10.0" | 5 | 26 | −2° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.7" | 8.2" | 5 | 24 | 2° – 27° |
| March | 38° | 19° | 1.1" | 7.7" | 5 | 17 | 18° – 42° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 2.2" | 6.2" | 7 | 6 | 33° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 48° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.3" | 1.3" | 7 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 22° | 0.9" | 6.0" | 4 | 7 | 18° – 42° |
| December | 26° | 9° | 0.8" | 9.9" | 5 | 23 | 3° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 24.3" | 49.3" | 82 | 103 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 25°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where New Effington’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 New Effington’s center.
- Snow: Victor 4 N, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Victor 4 N, SD, 6 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 New Effington’s climate
What is the weather like in New Effington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 85 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in New Effington in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 42 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How much snow does New Effington get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Victor 4 N, SD, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 103 days a year.
How hot does it get in New Effington?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Victor 4 N, SD).
When is the first and last frost in New Effington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 152 frost-free days, at Victor 4 N, SD.
What growing zone is New Effington 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 New Effington?
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 New Effington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in New Effington.
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.