Sitting Bull Monument · Photo: Malchow · Public domainFew U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Ridgeland Township
July afternoons average 86°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 90% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Ridgeland Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ridgeland Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ridgeland Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ridgeland Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mobridge 2nnw, SD, 9 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ridgeland Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mobridge 2nnw, SD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ridgeland Township
92% 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 Mobridge 2nnw, SD.
Living with Ridgeland Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 9.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 70% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ridgeland Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ridgeland Township and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ridgeland Township yet.
Climates most like Ridgeland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeland Township, SD | 6° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Sidney, MT | 4° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
| Watford City, ND | 4° | 84° | 16" | 50" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
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 Ridgeland Township averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Ridgeland Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ridgeland Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Ridgeland Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ridgeland Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mobridge 2nnw, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 6° | 0.4" | 7.0" | 6 | 24 | 4° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 9° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 6 | 17 | 1° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 20° | 0.8" | 5.6" | 6 | 11 | 21° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 1.6" | 3.7" | 7 | 3 | 36° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 79° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 86° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 57° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 47° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 34° | 1.7" | 1.2" | 7 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 42° | 21° | 0.5" | 3.9" | 5 | 5 | 20° – 41° |
| December | 29° | 11° | 0.5" | 6.8" | 4 | 15 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 33° | 18.6" | 36.3" | 85 | 76 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ridgeland 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 Ridgeland Township’s center.
- Snow: Mobridge 2nnw, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mobridge 2nnw, SD, 9 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Ridgeland Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ridgeland Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ridgeland Township in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Ridgeland Township get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Mobridge 2nnw, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 76 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ridgeland Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 60°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Mobridge 2nnw, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Ridgeland Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 157 frost-free days, at Mobridge 2nnw, SD.
What growing zone is Ridgeland Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ridgeland 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 Ridgeland Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ridgeland 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.