January in Viborg bites harder than in 95% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. The wettest month is June; the driest is January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 2, with the first autumn frost due around October 1.
A year in Viborg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Viborg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Viborg’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Viborg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Centerville 6 Se, SD, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Viborg’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 Centerville 6 Se, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Viborg
91% 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 Centerville 6 Se, SD.
Living with Viborg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 2 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.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Viborg from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Viborg and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Viborg in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Viborg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viborg, SD | 9° | 85° | 27" | 31" |
| New Ulm, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 38" |
| Grand Island, NE | 15° | 87° | 27" | 28" |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 9° | 83° | 34" | 39" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
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 Viborg averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Viborg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Viborg’s place among South Dakota’s.
Viborg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Viborg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Centerville 6 Se, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 9° | 0.5" | 5.2" | 5 | 20 | 9° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 13° | 0.8" | 6.0" | 5 | 15 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 24° | 1.4" | 4.5" | 6 | 9 | 27° – 52° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 3.0" | 2.9" | 10 | 2 | 38° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.7" | 8 | 1 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 24° | 1.2" | 5.0" | 5 | 5 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 31° | 14° | 0.8" | 6.1" | 5 | 17 | 9° – 28° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 27.3" | 30.5" | 94 | 68 |
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 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Viborg’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 Viborg’s center.
- Snow: Centerville 6 Se, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Centerville 6 Se, SD, 13 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 Viborg’s climate
What is the weather like in Viborg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Viborg in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 164 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Viborg get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Centerville 6 Se, SD, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 68 days a year.
How hot does it get in Viborg?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Centerville 6 Se, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Viborg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 151 frost-free days, at Centerville 6 Se, SD.
What growing zone is Viborg in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Viborg?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Viborg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Viborg.
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.