Spring Valley Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Spring Valley Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spring Valley Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spring Valley Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Spring Valley Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Conde, SD, 14 miles from the town’s center, 480 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spring Valley 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bristol 7s, SD, falls mostly in February and December. 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 105 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Spring Valley 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 Conde, SD.
Living with Spring Valley Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 42% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spring Valley Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spring Valley Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Spring Valley Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Spring Valley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Valley Township, SD | 3° | 81° | 24" | 42" |
| Litchfield, MN | 4° | 82° | 28" | 41" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Spring Valley Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Spring Valley Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spring Valley Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Spring Valley Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spring Valley Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bristol 7s, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 0.6" | 6.1" | 8 | 0° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 7° | 0.6" | 9.2" | 7 | 2° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 20° | 1.0" | 7.5" | 7 | 20° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 2.1" | 4.5" | 9 | 32° – 51° |
| May | 66° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 56° | 35° | 2.3" | 1.1" | 9 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 22° | 0.8" | 3.6" | 6 | 19° – 42° |
| December | 26° | 10° | 0.7" | 9.8" | 8 | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 33° | 23.8" | 41.8" | 105 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 29°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Spring Valley 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 Valley Township’s center.
- Snow: Bristol 7s, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Conde, SD, 14 miles from the town’s center, 480 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 Valley Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Spring Valley Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 127 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spring Valley Township in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Spring Valley Township get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Bristol 7s, SD, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Spring Valley Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 16 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Conde, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Spring Valley Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 144 frost-free days, at Conde, SD.
What growing zone is Spring Valley 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 Spring Valley 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 Valley Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spring Valley 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.