Ardmore, SD Climate

Climate Insight: Ardmore, SD

Based on station USC00390236 feeding NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, Ardmore, South Dakota averages 48°F a year, ranging from a mean daily high of 64°F to a mean daily low of 31°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Because these figures are thirty-year averages rather than any single year's readings, they describe the typical month, not a forecast for it.

Ardmore averages 18.1 inches of precipitation a year, with 44.1 inches typically falling as snow, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 130 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 16 and the first fall freeze near September 23. As for energy demand, 7,032 heating degree days and 688 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.

On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Ardmore scores 49/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above are the practical planning tool: mild highs and lows land in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat peaks in summer, and January-driven cold sets in over deep winter. These are thirty-year averages, not a forecast - any single year can run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal.