Buffalo, South Dakota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Buffalo's normal year runs from 11°F January nights to 86°F July afternoons, with 13.4 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 7.5°C, January lows of −12°C, July highs of 30°C, 342 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBuffalo Asos
- Station IDUSW00094037
- Location45.60°N 103.55°W
- Elevation3,004 ft (916 m)
- Population353
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Buffalo.
- Jan 32° 11°
- Feb 34° 13°
- Mar 45° 22°
- Apr 56° 31°
- May 66° 42°
- Jun 77° 52°
- Jul 86° 58°
- Aug 85° 56°
- Sep 75° 46°
- Oct 58° 34°
- Nov 44° 22°
- Dec 34° 13°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Buffalo each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 86°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 11°F. The most precipitation falls in May (2.47 in), the least in January (0.31 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 11°F | 21.2°F | 0.31 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 9 h |
| February | 34°F | 13°F | 23.3°F | 0.41 | 7 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 45°F | 22°F | 33.5°F | 0.53 | 6 | <1 | 27 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 56°F | 31°F | 43.5°F | 1.44 | 9 | <1 | 15 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 66°F | 42°F | 54.1°F | 2.47 | 11 | <1 | 3 | 14 h 50 min |
| June | 77°F | 52°F | 64.3°F | 2.11 | 12 | 3 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| July | 86°F | 58°F | 72.1°F | 2.16 | 8 | 13 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| August | 85°F | 56°F | 70.5°F | 1.13 | 8 | 11 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| September | 75°F | 46°F | 60.6°F | 1.13 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 58°F | 34°F | 45.9°F | 1.09 | 7 | <1 | 13 | 11 h |
| November | 44°F | 22°F | 32.9°F | 0.32 | 5 | <1 | 25 | 9 h 30 min |
| December | 34°F | 13°F | 23.6°F | 0.35 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 8 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 58°F | 33°F | 45.5°F | 13.45 | 89 | 30 | 172 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | −12°C | −6.0°C | 8 mm |
| February | 1°C | −11°C | −4.8°C | 10 mm |
| March | 7°C | −5°C | 0.8°C | 13 mm |
| April | 13°C | 0°C | 6.4°C | 37 mm |
| May | 19°C | 5°C | 12.3°C | 63 mm |
| June | 25°C | 11°C | 17.9°C | 54 mm |
| July | 30°C | 15°C | 22.3°C | 55 mm |
| August | 29°C | 13°C | 21.4°C | 29 mm |
| September | 24°C | 8°C | 15.9°C | 29 mm |
| October | 15°C | 1°C | 7.7°C | 28 mm |
| November | 7°C | −6°C | 0.5°C | 8 mm |
| December | 1°C | −10°C | −4.7°C | 9 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Redig (11 mi NE) (18 miles away), gets 51 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094037; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Buffalo?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (7).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094037.
When is the last frost in Buffalo?
In Buffalo, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 10 in half of years and after May 23 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 1 in half of years and before September 16 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 101 year in 10 after May 23; 9 in 10 after April 30
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 11 year in 10 before September 16; 9 in 10 before October 14
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 141 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 160 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 1 in half of springs and before October 8 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Buffalo in zone 4b in ZIP code 57720, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in South Dakota · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00094037; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Buffalo?
In a normal year in Buffalo, 30 days a year reach 90°F (4 of them 100°F or more), 172 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 89 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 30a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 4a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 172a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 55high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 89a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1998) is 111°F, on June 26, 2012; the lowest is −31°F, on January 13, 2024.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2019, with 20.52 in.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00094037; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00094037. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Buffalo?
Over a year 79% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Buffalo, 4.2 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (87%) and April the cloudiest (73%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 77% | 1.9 |
| February | 79% | 2.9 |
| March | 74% | 3.9 |
| April | 73% | 5.0 |
| May | 74% | 6.0 |
| June | 80% | 6.8 |
| July | 87% | 7.0 |
| August | 86% | 6.0 |
| September | 82% | 4.5 |
| October | 75% | 3.0 |
| November | 75% | 2.0 |
| December | 73% | 1.5 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Buffalo need?
A normal year in Buffalo brings 7,669 heating degree days, 43% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 580 cooling degree days, 36% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,404 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,359 | 0 |
| February | 1,166 | 0 |
| March | 977 | 0 |
| April | 647 | 1 |
| May | 348 | 10 |
| June | 97 | 76 |
| July | 13 | 233 |
| August | 30 | 199 |
| September | 190 | 58 |
| October | 595 | 3 |
| November | 963 | 0 |
| December | 1,283 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,669 | 580 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094037. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Buffalo been warmer than normal lately?
2023 averaged 47.8°F, 2.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 45.5°F. 2 of the 3 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.4°F | +2.9°F | 10.87 |
| 2022 | 45.4°F | −0.1°F | 11.71 |
| 2023 | 47.8°F | +2.3°F | 14.86 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00094037. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Buffalo's climate compare?
Buffalo is warmer than 45 of the other 99 places with their own NOAA record in South Dakota, and wetter than 0. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 45.5°F is warmer than 21%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Buffalo is BSk: cold semi-arid steppe. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
What do Buffalo's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Buffalo. This page uses Buffalo Asos; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo (13 mi ESE) USW00094081 | 13 mi SE | 2,883 ft | 43.3°F | 7°F | 86°F | 16.9 | – | May 20 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Buffalo's climate
What is the coldest month in Buffalo?
January, with a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 11°F. The warmest is July (86°F by day, 58°F at night).
Does it snow in Buffalo?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Buffalo's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Redig (11 mi NE) (18 miles away), records 51 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Buffalo?
May, with 2.47 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 0.31 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Buffalo in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Buffalo in zone 4b in ZIP code 57720, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Buffalo?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 10; in one year in ten it comes after May 23. Waiting until May 23 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- South Dakota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Antelope Ranger Station, SD12 miles from this station, 43.4°F a year
- Ludlow (3 mi SSE), SD15 miles from this station, 44.0°F a year
- Redig (11 mi NE), SD18 miles from this station, 45.1°F a year
- Ladner (9 mi SW), SD20 miles from this station, 43.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made