Nights turn raw in Star Valley Township each January, colder than in 91% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 88°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 87% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.8° rise. Tender plants can go out after about April 30; in half of years the first frost comes by October 13.
A year in Star Valley Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Star Valley Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Star Valley Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Star Valley Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pickstown, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Star Valley Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pickstown, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Star Valley Township
88% 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 Pickstown, SD.
Living with Star Valley Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 43% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Star Valley Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Star Valley Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Star 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 Star 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Valley Township, SD | 12° | 88° | 25" | 31" |
| Holdrege, NE | 15° | 88° | 25" | 25" |
| Council Bluffs, IA | 14° | 87° | 33" | 27" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 14° | 87° | 15" | 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Star Valley Township averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Star Valley Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Star Valley Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Star Valley Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Star Valley Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pickstown, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 12° | 0.5" | 5.7" | 5 | 17 | 14° – 37° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.7" | 6.4" | 5 | 12 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 25° | 1.2" | 5.3" | 6 | 7 | 27° – 51° |
| April | 60° | 36° | 3.0" | 3.2" | 9 | 2 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 88° | 63° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 61° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 52° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 38° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 25° | 0.8" | 3.5" | 4 | 4 | 26° – 46° |
| December | 35° | 16° | 0.6" | 7.1" | 4 | 15 | 14° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 37° | 25.3" | 31.3" | 84 | 57 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 51°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Star 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 Star Valley Township’s center.
- Snow: Pickstown, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pickstown, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Star Valley Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Star Valley Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Star Valley Township in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Star Valley Township get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Pickstown, SD, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 57 days a year.
How hot does it get in Star Valley Township?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 63°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Pickstown, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Star Valley Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 165 frost-free days, at Pickstown, SD.
What growing zone is Star Valley Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Star Valley 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 Star Valley Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Star 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.