Patten Consolidated School · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Patten Township
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 86° on average. June is the wettest month, January the driest. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, May, June, August and September bring highs of 69–83°.
A year in Patten Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Patten Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Patten Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Patten Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at White Lake, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Patten 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at White Lake, SD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Patten 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 White Lake, SD.
Living with Patten Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 43% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Patten Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Patten Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Patten Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Patten 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patten Township, SD | 9° | 86° | 24" | 38" |
| Sioux City, IA | 10° | 86° | 29" | 36" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
| Schuyler, NE | 13° | 87° | 29" | 36" |
| Air Force Academy, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
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 Patten Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Patten Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Patten Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Patten Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Patten Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from White Lake, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 9° | 0.6" | 7.1" | 3 | 16 | 8° – 34° |
| February | 33° | 12° | 0.7" | 8.4" | 4 | 13 | 7° – 33° |
| March | 45° | 23° | 1.1" | 5.2" | 4 | 7 | 22° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 2.7" | 5.4" | 7 | 3 | 35° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 61° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 36° | 1.9" | 0.8" | 5 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 44° | 23° | 0.7" | 3.7" | 3 | 5 | 24° – 43° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 0.6" | 7.1" | 3 | 13 | 10° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 23.9" | 37.7" | 60 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Patten 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 Patten Township’s center.
- Snow: White Lake, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: White Lake, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Patten Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Patten Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Patten Township in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 163 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 8°.
How much snow does Patten Township get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at White Lake, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Patten Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 61°. About 26 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (White Lake, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Patten Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 153 frost-free days, at White Lake, SD.
What growing zone is Patten 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 Patten 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 Patten Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Patten 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.