Climate Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 43°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Brookings, SD Climate
Annual temperature, rainfall, and a comfort score, sourced from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →
- 43°F
- Avg annual temp
- 49/100
- Comfort score
- 25.2"
- Annual precip
- 148d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Brookings
Brookings, South Dakota averages 43°F a year and scores 49/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 18% of U.S. cities.
- 43°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 49/100
- comfort score, milder than 18% of U.S. cities
- 25.2"
- annual precipitation · 36" snow
- 148 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
43°F (6°C)
Avg High
54°F
Avg Low
33°F
Annual Precip
25.2"
Annual Snow
35.8"
Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
43°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
25.2"
Plus 35.8" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Brookings) 49.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Brookings area.
How Brookings compares to every U.S. city
Brookings's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 Top 82% higher than 18% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Brookings
MethodologyThe chart below traces how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has moved against the global mean since 1900. For Brookings, the NOAA 1991-2020 normal captures average conditions across that spread - notably, the most recent decade runs warmer than the 30-year mean itself.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22°F (-5°C) | 4°F (-16°C) | 13°F (-11°C) | 0.4" | 5.5" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 27°F (-3°C) | 7°F (-14°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 0.5" | 7.1" | 27.7 | 0.0 |
| March | 39°F (4°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 1.1" | 6.4" | 26.8 | 0.0 |
| April | 54°F (12°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 2.2" | 4.1" | 16.2 | 0.0 |
| May | 67°F (19°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 3.5" | 0.1" | 2.3 | 0.5 |
| June | 77°F (25°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| July | 81°F (27°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 3.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.4 |
| August | 79°F (26°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 3.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.9 |
| September | 72°F (22°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 3.1" | 0.0" | 1.7 | 0.7 |
| October | 58°F (14°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 2.0" | 1.1" | 14.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 41°F (5°C) | 22°F (-6°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 0.8" | 4.7" | 26.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 28°F (-2°C) | 10°F (-12°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 0.6" | 6.8" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.4"
Snow: 5.5"
6.0 days with precipitation
February 0.5"
Snow: 7.1"
5.6 days with precipitation
March 1.1"
Snow: 6.4"
6.8 days with precipitation
April 2.2"
Snow: 4.1"
9.6 days with precipitation
May 3.5"
Snow: 0.1"
12.5 days with precipitation
June 4.3"
12.0 days with precipitation
July 3.6"
10.0 days with precipitation
August 3.2"
9.1 days with precipitation
September 3.1"
8.4 days with precipitation
October 2.0"
Snow: 1.1"
7.7 days with precipitation
November 0.8"
Snow: 4.7"
4.9 days with precipitation
December 0.6"
Snow: 6.8"
6.0 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 1
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 6
50% probability date
Growing Season
148 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
8,378
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
524
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Brookings's climate means for you
Brookings runs 43°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 148 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 6 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 8,378 heating and 524 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Brookings, SD
Based on station USC00391076 feeding NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, Brookings, South Dakota averages 43°F a year, ranging from a mean daily high of 54°F to a mean daily low of 33°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.
Brookings averages 25.2 inches of precipitation a year, with 35.8 inches typically falling as snow, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 148 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 6 and the first fall freeze near October 1. As for energy demand, 8,378 heating degree days and 524 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Brookings 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Brookings, SD? ▼
The average annual temperature in Brookings, South Dakota is 43°F. The warmest month averages 81°F (27°C) and the coldest averages 4°F (-16°C).
How much rain does Brookings get? ▼
Brookings receives 25.2 inches of precipitation annually, including 35.8 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Brookings? ▼
Brookings has a climate comfort score of 49/100 (Moderate), milder than 18% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Brookings? ▼
Brookings has approximately 148 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 6 and the first fall freeze around October 1.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Brookings? ▼
Brookings has 8,378 heating degree days and 524 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Brookings climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00391076 near Brookings.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00391076. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.