January in Norris bites harder than in 91% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 88°. Only 76° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 89% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Norris at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Norris’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Norris’ place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Norris feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cedar Butte, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Norris’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cedar Butte, SD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Norris
88% 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 Cedar Butte, SD.
Living with Norris’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 4.
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 Norris from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Norris and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Norris yet.
Climates most like Norris’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norris, SD | 12° | 88° | 21" | 40" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| North Platte, NE | 14° | 89° | 21" | 28" |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 14° | 87° | 15" | 39" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
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 Norris averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Norris compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Norris’ place among South Dakota’s.
Norris weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Norris’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cedar Butte, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 12° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 4 | 13 | 15° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 5 | 12 | 11° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.2" | 6.0" | 4 | 6 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 2.5" | 5.6" | 9 | 2 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 80° | 54° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 61° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 87° | 58° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 35° | 1.7" | 1.6" | 6 | 1 | 39° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 24° | 0.7" | 5.1" | 4 | 7 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 15° | 0.6" | 6.7" | 4 | 14 | 16° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 20.9" | 40.0" | 79 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Norris’ 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 Norris’ center.
- Snow: Cedar Butte, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cedar Butte, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Norris’ climate
What is the weather like in Norris?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Norris in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Norris get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Cedar Butte, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Norris?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 61°. About 45 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Cedar Butte, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Norris?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 151 frost-free days, at Cedar Butte, SD.
What growing zone is Norris in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Norris?
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 Norris getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Norris.
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.