Photo: AlexiusHoratius · CC BY-SA 3.0Parker Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. The wettest month is June; the driest is January. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 87% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 30; in half of years the first frost comes by October 7.
A year in Parker Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Parker Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Parker Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Parker Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bridgewater, SD, 23 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Parker Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marion, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Parker Township
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 Bridgewater, SD.
Living with Parker Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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, August and September. 3.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Parker Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Parker Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Parker Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Parker Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker Township, SD | 8° | 85° | 27" | 41" |
| North Mankato, MN | 6° | 83° | 32" | 39" |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 9° | 83° | 34" | 39" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
| Omaha, NE | 14° | 86° | 33" | 34" |
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 Parker Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Parker Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Parker Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Parker Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Parker Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marion, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 8° | 0.5" | 7.9" | 5 | 8° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 12° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 5 | 10° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 24° | 1.4" | 6.3" | 6 | 25° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 2.9" | 3.6" | 9 | 38° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 12 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 62° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 37° | 2.2" | 0.6" | 7 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 24° | 1.1" | 5.0" | 4 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 0.8" | 9.3" | 5 | 9° – 28° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 26.9" | 40.9" | 86 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Parker Township’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 Parker Township’s center.
- Snow: Marion, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bridgewater, SD, 23 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 Parker Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Parker Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Parker Township in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Parker Township get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Marion, SD, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Parker Township?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 62°. About 19 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Bridgewater, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Parker Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 161 frost-free days, at Bridgewater, SD.
What growing zone is Parker Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Parker Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Parker Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Parker Township.
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.