Winter nights in Ola are colder than in 93% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 87°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in January. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 3, with the first autumn frost due around October 7.
A year in Ola at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ola’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ola’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ola feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chamberlain 5 S, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ola’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Academy 2ne, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 91 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ola
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 Chamberlain 5 S, SD.
Living with Ola’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 60% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ola from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ola and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ola in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ola’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ola, SD | 11° | 87° | 23" | 42" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Sioux City, IA | 10° | 86° | 29" | 36" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 14° | 87° | 15" | 39" |
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 Ola averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Ola compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ola’s place among South Dakota’s.
Ola weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ola’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Academy 2ne, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 11° | 0.5" | 5.8" | 5 | 19 | 12° – 36° |
| February | 35° | 14° | 0.6" | 7.7" | 6 | 13 | 10° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 24° | 1.1" | 6.5" | 7 | 9 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 2.6" | 6.8" | 9 | 3 | 38° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 87° | 63° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 61° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 51° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| October | 62° | 38° | 1.8" | 1.1" | 7 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 25° | 0.8" | 5.4" | 5 | 6 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 15° | 0.5" | 8.2" | 6 | 17 | 12° – 31° |
| Year | 59° | 37° | 23.4" | 41.5" | 91 | 68 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ola’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 Ola’s center.
- Snow: Academy 2ne, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chamberlain 5 S, SD, 11 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 Ola’s climate
What is the weather like in Ola?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ola in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Ola get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Academy 2ne, SD, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 68 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ola?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 63°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Chamberlain 5 S, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Ola?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 156 frost-free days, at Chamberlain 5 S, SD.
What growing zone is Ola in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ola?
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 Ola getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ola.
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.