Raber Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 88°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 89% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. If you like long walks, May, June and September offer highs of 70–80°.
A year in Raber Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Raber Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Raber Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Raber Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 129 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Harrold 12 Ssw, SD, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Raber Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Harrold 12 Ssw, SD, falls mostly in February and December. 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 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Raber Township
93% 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 Harrold 12 Ssw, SD.
Living with Raber Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 17 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 24.
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 Raber Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Raber Township and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Raber Township yet.
Climates most like Raber 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raber Township, SD | 7° | 88° | 20" | 40" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
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 Raber Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Raber Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Raber Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Raber Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Raber Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Harrold 12 Ssw, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 7° | 0.4" | 4.8" | 3 | 8° – 34° |
| February | 33° | 11° | 0.6" | 7.4" | 4 | 5° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 22° | 0.9" | 5.4" | 3 | 23° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 2.1" | 7.0" | 6 | 36° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 80° | 55° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 61° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 65° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 58° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 78° | 49° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 61° | 35° | 1.6" | 0.6" | 4 | 40° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 22° | 0.6" | 6.8" | 4 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 32° | 11° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 3 | 9° – 29° |
| Year | 59° | 34° | 19.8" | 40.0" | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Raber 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 Raber Township’s center.
- Snow: Harrold 12 Ssw, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Harrold 12 Ssw, SD, 5 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 Raber Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Raber Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Raber Township in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 34 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Raber Township get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Harrold 12 Ssw, SD, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Raber Township?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 61°. About 32 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Harrold 12 Ssw, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Raber Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 129 frost-free days, at Harrold 12 Ssw, SD.
What growing zone is Raber Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Raber Township?
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 Raber Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Raber 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.