Photo: Bp0 at English Wikipedia · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Watertown
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 81° on average. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 79°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 87% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Watertown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Watertown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Watertown’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Watertown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Watertown Rgnl Airport, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Watertown’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Watertown Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in February and 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 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Watertown
94% 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 Watertown Rgnl Airport.
Living with Watertown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 7 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 9.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Watertown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Watertown and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Watertown in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Watertown’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
| Baxter, MN | 1° | 80° | 29" | 48" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Estherville, IA | 7° | 82° | 31" | 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 Watertown 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 Watertown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Watertown’s place among South Dakota’s.
Watertown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Watertown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Watertown Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 2° | 0.6" | 6.7" | 6 | 26 | −1° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 0.6" | 8.9" | 6 | 21 | 3° – 27° |
| March | 39° | 19° | 1.1" | 5.4" | 7 | 15 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 2.2" | 5.2" | 9 | 4 | 33° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 56° | 34° | 2.1" | 1.4" | 8 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 21° | 0.9" | 4.5" | 5 | 5 | 19° – 40° |
| December | 26° | 9° | 0.7" | 8.9" | 6 | 22 | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 24.6" | 41.1" | 96 | 93 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Watertown’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 Watertown’s center.
- Snow: Watertown Rgnl Airport (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Watertown Rgnl Airport, 0.4 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 Watertown’s climate
What is the weather like in Watertown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 85 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Watertown in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Watertown get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Watertown Rgnl Airport, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 93 days a year.
How hot does it get in Watertown?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 59°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Watertown Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Watertown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 145 frost-free days, at Watertown Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Watertown in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Watertown?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Watertown 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 Watertown.
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.