Wasta Rest Stop Tipi-Eastbound · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Winter nights in Wasta Township are colder than in 92% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 89°. Only 77° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 10; in half of years the first frost comes by October 1.
A year in Wasta Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wasta Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wasta Township’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Wasta Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wasta, SD, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wasta Township’s 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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wasta, SD, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wasta Township
90% 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 Wasta, SD.
Living with Wasta Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 10 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 and September. 9.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wasta Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wasta Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wasta Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wasta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasta Township, SD | 11° | 89° | 18" | 30" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| North Platte, NE | 14° | 89° | 21" | 28" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Carbondale, CO | 11° | 88° | 13" | 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 Wasta Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Wasta Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wasta Township’s place among South Dakota’s.
Wasta Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wasta Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wasta, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 11° | 0.4" | 3.8" | 3 | 14 | 13° – 36° |
| February | 39° | 14° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 3 | 9 | 9° – 38° |
| March | 50° | 24° | 1.0" | 5.5" | 4 | 5 | 23° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 33° | 2.0" | 3.7" | 7 | 2 | 39° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 80° | 54° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 60° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 58° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 34° | 1.6" | 1.1" | 5 | 1 | 40° – 54° |
| November | 48° | 22° | 0.5" | 4.2" | 3 | 4 | 24° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 13° | 0.4" | 5.6" | 3 | 11 | 14° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 17.6" | 30.4" | 62 | 46 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Wasta 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 Wasta Township’s center.
- Snow: Wasta, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wasta, SD, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Wasta Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Wasta Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wasta Township in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Wasta Township get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Wasta, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 46 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wasta Township?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 60°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Wasta, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Wasta Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 141 frost-free days, at Wasta, SD.
What growing zone is Wasta Township 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 Wasta 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 Wasta Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wasta 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.