Building at 125 Ohio St. · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Midwinter lows in Wakonda sink below those of 94% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 85°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 75°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 86% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 2 to October 1.
A year in Wakonda at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wakonda’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wakonda’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Wakonda 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, 11 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wakonda’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 Centerville 6 Se, 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 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wakonda
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 Wakonda’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 Wakonda from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wakonda and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wakonda yet.
Climates most like Wakonda’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakonda, SD | 10° | 85° | 28" | 31" |
| Grand Island, NE | 15° | 87° | 27" | 28" |
| Adel, IA | 12° | 85° | 35" | 25" |
| New Ulm, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 38" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Wakonda averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Wakonda compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wakonda’s place among South Dakota’s.
Wakonda weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wakonda’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 | 28° | 10° | 0.6" | 5.2" | 5 | 20 | 10° – 34° |
| February | 33° | 14° | 0.8" | 6.0" | 5 | 15 | 11° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 25° | 1.5" | 4.5" | 6 | 9 | 27° – 52° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.1" | 2.9" | 10 | 2 | 38° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 39° | 2.4" | 0.7" | 8 | 1 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 25° | 1.2" | 5.0" | 5 | 5 | 26° – 45° |
| December | 32° | 15° | 0.8" | 6.1" | 5 | 17 | 10° – 29° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 28.0" | 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 Wakonda’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 Wakonda’s center.
- Snow: Centerville 6 Se, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Centerville 6 Se, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Wakonda’s climate
What is the weather like in Wakonda?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wakonda in winter?
January nights average 10°. 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 10°.
How much snow does Wakonda 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 Wakonda?
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 Wakonda?
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 Wakonda 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 Wakonda?
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 Wakonda getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wakonda.
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.