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Climate in Spring Creek Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Spring Creek Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns#7 coldest of 38 in SD
More snow than 75% of U.S. towns#19Snowiest  of 38 in SD
All SD rankings →

A year in Spring Creek Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan23°5° 6" snow
Feb28°9° 8" snow
Mar40°21° 6" snow
Apr55°33° 5" snow
May68°45° Last frost ~May 51 day 90°+
Jun78°56° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Jul82°60° 4 days 90°+
Aug79°57° 2 days 90°+
Sep72°49° 1 day 90°+
Oct58°36° First frost ~Oct 1
Nov now41°22° 6" snow
Dec28°11° 9" snow

What stands out about Spring Creek Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spring Creek Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Spring Creek Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
26° / 8°
13 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
54° / 33°
Last frost around May 5
Summer
80° / 58°
9 days reach 90°
Fall
57° / 35°
First frost around Oct 1
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 148 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Flandreau, SD, 7 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.

177
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2nd most of 38 in South Dakota
More freezing nights than 97% of U.S. towns
36
nights at or below 0°
3rd most of 38 in South Dakota
More nights at or below 0° than all but 157 U.S. towns
9
days that reach 90°
4th fewest of 38 in South Dakota
Fewer 90° days than 80% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
4th fewest of 38 in South Dakota
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
4bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4b

The 2023 USDA map puts Spring Creek Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

3.7
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Rain & snow

About 40 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Flandreau, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 28 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.

28"
Rain + melted snow a year
25th driest of 38 in South Dakota
Drier than 86% of U.S. towns
40"
Snow in a normal winter
19th snowiest of 38 in South Dakota
More snow than 75% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.4"
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Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

9"
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Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Spring Creek Township

94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

8,376 heating degree daysMore heating than 98% of U.S. towns
512 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 84% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Flandreau, SD.

Living here

Living with Spring Creek Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

148 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 5 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 1.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spring Creek Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Spring Creek Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Spring Creek Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Grovena Township: January low 6°, July high 83°Union Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Clare Township: January low 6°, July high 82°Altona Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Elkton Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Trenton Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Alton Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Fremont Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Flandreau Township: January low 5°, July high 83°Ward Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Parnell Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Riverview Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Spring Creek Township: January low 5°, July high 82°Spring Creek TownshipFlandreau TownshipWard TownshipParnell TownshipRiverview Township
ColderMilder5° to 6°
Flandreau Township5.0° about the same
Riverview Township5.0° about the same
Parnell Township5.1° about the same
Spring Creek Township5.2°
Ward Township5.3° about the same

Climates most like Spring Creek 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Spring Creek Township, SD5°82°28"40"
Buffalo, MN5°82°31"40"
Hudson, WI6°82°33"50"
Fargo, ND0°82°24"51"
Fort Dodge, IA9°83°34"39"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Spring Creek Township averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).

+0.6°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 96% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.0°now 17°, was 15°
Spring+0.2°now 44°, was 43°
Summer−0.3°now 69°, was 69°
Fall+0.4°now 46°, was 46°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Spring Creek Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spring Creek Township’s place among South Dakota’s.

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns5th coolest of 38 in South Dakota
Winter cold5° January low
Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns7th coldest of 38 in South Dakota
Precipitation28" a year
Drier than 86% of U.S. towns25th driest of 38 in South Dakota
Snow40" a winter
More snow than 75% of U.S. towns19th snowiest of 38 in South Dakota
Hot days9 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 80% of U.S. towns4th fewest of 38 in South Dakota
Freezing nights177 a year
More freezing nights than 97% of U.S. towns2nd most of 38 in South Dakota
Growing season148 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 93% of U.S. towns16th shortest of 38 in South Dakota
Month by month

Spring Creek Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spring Creek Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Flandreau, SD. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January23°5°0.6"5.8"53° – 28°
February28°9°0.8"8.2"65° – 31°
March40°21°1.4"6.2"620° – 45°
April55°33°2.7"4.8"834° – 52°
May68°45°3.7"0.1"1052° – 63°
June78°56°4.4"0.0"1062° – 71°
July82°60°3.7"0.0"863° – 78°
August79°57°3.4"0.0"763° – 73°
September72°49°3.0"0.0"654° – 66°
October58°36°2.2"1.2"640° – 52°
November41°22°1.1"5.6"521° – 43°
December28°11°0.8"8.5"66° – 26°
Year54°34°27.8"40.4"82
Year to year

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 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Spring Creek 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 Spring Creek Township’s center.
  • Snow: Flandreau, SD.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Flandreau, SD, 7 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Spring Creek Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Spring Creek Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Spring Creek Township in winter?

January nights average 5°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.

How much snow does Spring Creek Township get?

About 40 inches in a normal winter at Flandreau, SD, most of it in February and December.

How hot does it get in Spring Creek Township?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Flandreau, SD).

When is the first and last frost in Spring Creek Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 148 frost-free days, at Flandreau, SD.

What growing zone is Spring Creek Township in?

Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.

What is the best time of year to visit Spring Creek Township?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Spring Creek Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spring Creek Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.