Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Vilas
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 84°. 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. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 5, with the first autumn frost due around October 2.
A year in Vilas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vilas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vilas’ place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Vilas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Howard, SD, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vilas’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 Howard, SD, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 80 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Vilas
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 Howard, SD.
Living with Vilas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 2.
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 Vilas from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (25%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vilas and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Vilas in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Vilas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vilas, SD | 6° | 84° | 25" | 36" |
| New Ulm, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 38" |
| Storm Lake, IA | 9° | 83° | 31" | 31" |
| Wahpeton, ND | 1° | 82° | 25" | 50" |
| 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 Vilas averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
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 Vilas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vilas’ place among South Dakota’s.
Vilas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vilas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Howard, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 6° | 0.5" | 5.8" | 5 | 4° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 10° | 0.7" | 6.4" | 5 | 6° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 22° | 1.2" | 6.6" | 5 | 22° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 2.6" | 5.2" | 9 | 36° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 80° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 36° | 2.2" | 1.0" | 6 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 22° | 0.9" | 3.2" | 4 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 29° | 11° | 0.6" | 7.6" | 5 | 7° – 27° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 25.4" | 35.8" | 80 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Vilas’ 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 Vilas’ center.
- Snow: Howard, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Howard, SD, 3 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 Vilas’ climate
What is the weather like in Vilas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vilas in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 29 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Vilas get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Howard, SD, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Vilas?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Howard, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Vilas?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 149 frost-free days, at Howard, SD.
What growing zone is Vilas in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vilas?
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 Vilas 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 Vilas.
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.