Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Onida
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 86° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 90% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. Tender plants can go out after about May 8; in half of years the first frost comes by October 2.
A year in Onida at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Onida’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Onida’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Onida feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Onida 4 Nw, SD, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Onida’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 Onida 4 Nw, SD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 90 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Onida
91% 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 Onida 4 Nw, SD.
Living with Onida’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
147 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 8 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 2.
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 Onida from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Onida and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Onida yet.
Climates most like Onida’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onida, SD | 7° | 86° | 20" | 49" |
| Watford City, ND | 4° | 84° | 16" | 50" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
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 Onida averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Onida compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Onida’s place among South Dakota’s.
Onida weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Onida’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Onida 4 Nw, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 7° | 0.4" | 7.4" | 7 | 25 | 6° – 33° |
| February | 31° | 11° | 0.6" | 9.4" | 7 | 19 | 3° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 21° | 0.8" | 7.9" | 7 | 13 | 22° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 1.9" | 6.5" | 8 | 3 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 86° | 60° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 58° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 48° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 35° | 1.7" | 3.0" | 7 | 1 | 38° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 22° | 0.5" | 6.8" | 6 | 7 | 21° – 42° |
| December | 31° | 11° | 0.5" | 7.7" | 6 | 20 | 8° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 33° | 19.6" | 48.8" | 90 | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Onida’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 Onida’s center.
- Snow: Onida 4 Nw, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Onida 4 Nw, SD, 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 Onida’s climate
What is the weather like in Onida?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Onida in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 172 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Onida get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Onida 4 Nw, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Onida?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 60°. About 30 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Onida 4 Nw, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Onida?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 147 frost-free days, at Onida 4 Nw, SD.
What growing zone is Onida in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Onida?
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 Onida getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Onida.
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.