Calumet Hotel · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0January in Wasta bites harder than in 92% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 89°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 91% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in January. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Wasta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wasta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wasta’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Wasta 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, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wasta’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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
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’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wasta 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 and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wasta yet.
Climates most like Wasta’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, 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 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 Wasta averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wasta’s place among South Dakota’s.
Wasta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wasta’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 | 40° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 80° | 54° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 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° | 47° | 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° – 34° |
| 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’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’s center.
- Snow: Wasta, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wasta, SD, 0.2 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 Wasta’s climate
What is the weather like in Wasta?
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 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wasta 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 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?
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?
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 in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wasta?
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 getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wasta.
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.