Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Wetonka
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 83°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 89% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 68–83°.
A year in Wetonka at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wetonka’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wetonka’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in Wetonka 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 9 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Leola, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wetonka’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Westport 2 Nw, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wetonka
95% 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 Leola, SD.
Living with Wetonka’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 9 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wetonka from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wetonka and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wetonka yet.
Climates most like Wetonka’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetonka, SD | 3° | 83° | 21" | 44" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
| Montevideo, MN | 4° | 83° | 28" | 46" |
| Sidney, MT | 4° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
| Sheldon, IA | 7° | 84° | 30" | 41" |
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 Wetonka averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Wetonka compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wetonka’s place among South Dakota’s.
Wetonka weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wetonka’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Westport 2 Nw, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 0.5" | 7.2" | 3 | 24 | −1° – 27° |
| February | 26° | 7° | 0.6" | 9.6" | 4 | 17 | 1° – 28° |
| March | 40° | 19° | 0.9" | 5.7" | 4 | 10 | 19° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 31° | 1.9" | 4.9" | 6 | 3 | 34° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 83° | 59° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 57° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 47° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 34° | 1.8" | 1.6" | 6 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 20° | 0.7" | 5.1" | 3 | 3 | 17° – 40° |
| December | 27° | 9° | 0.6" | 10.2" | 4 | 17 | 3° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 21.4" | 44.3" | 72 | 75 |
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 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Wetonka’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 Wetonka’s center.
- Snow: Westport 2 Nw, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Leola, SD, 11 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher; 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 Wetonka’s climate
What is the weather like in Wetonka?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 104 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wetonka in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Wetonka get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Westport 2 Nw, SD, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 75 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wetonka?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 59°. About 16 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Leola, SD).
When is the first and last frost in Wetonka?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 141 frost-free days, at Leola, SD.
What growing zone is Wetonka in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wetonka?
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 Wetonka getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wetonka.
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.