Municipal Field House · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Wessington Springs has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. Rain follows the seasons: June brings about 6.3 times as much as January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 2; autumn frost returns near October 8.
A year in Wessington Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wessington Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wessington Springs’ place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Wessington Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wessington Springs, SD, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wessington Springs’ 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wessington Springs, SD, falls mostly in January, April and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wessington Springs
92% 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 Wessington Springs, SD.
Living with Wessington Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wessington Springs from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wessington Springs and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wessington Springs in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wessington Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wessington Springs, SD | 8° | 85° | 24" | 45" |
| Sioux City, IA | 10° | 86° | 29" | 36" |
| Norfolk, NE | 12° | 86° | 28" | 30" |
| Redwood Falls, MN | 6° | 83° | 29" | 44" |
| Air Force Academy, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
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 Wessington Springs averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
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 Wessington Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wessington Springs’ place among South Dakota’s.
Wessington Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wessington Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wessington Springs, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 8° | 0.6" | 7.5" | 5 | 20 | 7° – 33° |
| February | 32° | 12° | 0.7" | 7.3" | 5 | 14 | 6° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 23° | 1.2" | 6.4" | 6 | 10 | 22° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 2.8" | 8.2" | 8 | 3 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 85° | 61° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 37° | 1.9" | 1.7" | 7 | 1 | 40° – 53° |
| November | 44° | 23° | 0.8" | 5.3" | 4 | 5 | 23° – 44° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 0.7" | 8.1" | 5 | 16 | 9° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 24.3" | 44.5" | 84 | 68 |
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 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wessington Springs’ 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 Wessington Springs’ center.
- Snow: Wessington Springs, SD (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wessington Springs, SD, 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 Wessington Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Wessington Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wessington Springs in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Wessington Springs get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Wessington Springs, SD, most of it in January, April and December, with snow on the ground about 68 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wessington Springs?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 61°. About 23 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Wessington Springs, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Wessington Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 157 frost-free days, at Wessington Springs, SD.
What growing zone is Wessington Springs 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 Wessington Springs?
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 Wessington Springs 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 Wessington Springs.
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.