Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0White River’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in White River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with White River’s place in South Dakota beside it.
What a year in White River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 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 Wood, SD, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts White River’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cedar Butte, SD, falls mostly in February. 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 79 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in White River
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 Wood, SD.
Living with White River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 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. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in White River from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →White River and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around White River yet.
Climates most like White River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White River, SD | 12° | 89° | 21" | 40" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| North Platte, NE | 14° | 89° | 21" | 28" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Longmont, CO | 16° | 90° | 16" | 47" |
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 White River averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 White River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with White River’s place among South Dakota’s.
White River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at White River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cedar Butte, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 12° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 4 | 13 | 15° – 38° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 5 | 12 | 11° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.1" | 6.0" | 4 | 6 | 24° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 2.4" | 5.6" | 9 | 2 | 38° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 81° | 55° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 61° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 59° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 49° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 36° | 1.6" | 1.6" | 6 | 1 | 40° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 24° | 0.6" | 5.1" | 4 | 7 | 25° – 46° |
| December | 37° | 15° | 0.5" | 6.7" | 4 | 14 | 16° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 36° | 20.7" | 40.0" | 79 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where White River’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 White River’s center.
- Snow: Cedar Butte, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wood, SD, 14 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 White River’s climate
What is the weather like in White River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in White River in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does White River get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Cedar Butte, SD, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in White River?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 61°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Wood, SD).
When is the first and last frost in White River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 143 frost-free days, at Wood, SD.
What growing zone is White River in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit White River?
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 White River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White River.
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.