Photo: Jonathunder · CC BY-SA 4.0Winter nights in Quinn are colder than in 91% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 88°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Tender plants can go out after about May 16; in half of years the first frost comes by September 26.
A year in Quinn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Quinn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Quinn’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Quinn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cottonwood 2 E, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Quinn’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 Cottonwood 2 E, SD, is heaviest from February through April, about 6 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Quinn
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 Cottonwood 2 E, SD.
Living with Quinn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Quinn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Quinn and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Quinn in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Quinn’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinn, SD | 12° | 88° | 18" | 38" |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 14° | 87° | 15" | 39" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
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 Quinn averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 Quinn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Quinn’s place among South Dakota’s.
Quinn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Quinn’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cottonwood 2 E, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 12° | 0.4" | 5.4" | 5 | 17 | 14° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.5" | 6.3" | 5 | 11 | 9° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.0" | 6.3" | 6 | 7 | 24° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 33° | 2.1" | 6.8" | 9 | 3 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 79° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 60° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 87° | 58° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 35° | 1.6" | 2.2" | 7 | 1 | 40° – 54° |
| November | 47° | 23° | 0.5" | 4.8" | 5 | 6 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.4" | 6.0" | 4 | 14 | 14° – 33° |
| Year | 60° | 35° | 18.0" | 38.2" | 82 | 60 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Quinn’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 Quinn’s center.
- Snow: Cottonwood 2 E, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cottonwood 2 E, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Quinn’s climate
What is the weather like in Quinn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Quinn in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Quinn get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Cottonwood 2 E, SD, heaviest from February through April, about 6 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 60 days a year.
How hot does it get in Quinn?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 60°. About 46 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Cottonwood 2 E, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Quinn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 132 frost-free days, at Cottonwood 2 E, SD.
What growing zone is Quinn in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Quinn?
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 Quinn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Quinn.
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.