Lake Sharpe Project, South Dakota climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Lake Sharpe Project's normal year runs from 7°F January nights to 88°F July afternoons, with 20.1 inches of precipitation and 19 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 8.2°C, January lows of −14°C, July highs of 31°C, 511 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationLake Sharpe Project
- Station IDUSC00394766
- Location44.06°N 99.46°W
- Elevation1,461 ft (445 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Lake Sharpe Project is 58°F and the normal low 32°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 14%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Lake Sharpe Project.
- Jan 29° 7°
- Feb 35° 10°
- Mar 46° 20°
- Apr 59° 31°
- May 71° 44°
- Jun 80° 55°
- Jul 88° 61°
- Aug 86° 59°
- Sep 78° 50°
- Oct 62° 36°
- Nov 46° 23°
- Dec 34° 11°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Lake Sharpe Project each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 88°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 7°F. The most precipitation falls in June (3.82 in), the least in December (0.35 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29°F | 7°F | 18.1°F | 0.48 | 2.7 | 3 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 35°F | 10°F | 22.1°F | 0.54 | 5.4 | 3 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 46°F | 20°F | 33.2°F | 0.92 | 3.0 | 4 | <1 | 27 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 59°F | 31°F | 45.2°F | 1.78 | 2.6 | 6 | <1 | 15 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 71°F | 44°F | 57.5°F | 3.15 | 0.0 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 80°F | 55°F | 67.8°F | 3.82 | 0.0 | 10 | 4 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 88°F | 61°F | 74.4°F | 2.80 | 0.0 | 9 | 12 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 86°F | 59°F | 72.6°F | 2.22 | 0.0 | 9 | 10 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 78°F | 50°F | 63.9°F | 2.01 | 0.0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 62°F | 36°F | 48.8°F | 1.61 | 0.1 | 6 | <1 | 10 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 46°F | 23°F | 34.5°F | 0.43 | 1.2 | 3 | <1 | 27 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 34°F | 11°F | 22.1°F | 0.35 | 3.9 | 2 | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 60°F | 34°F | 46.7°F | 20.11 | 18.9 | 71 | 31 | 171 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1°C | −14°C | −7.7°C | 12 mm | 7 cm |
| February | 2°C | −12°C | −5.5°C | 14 mm | 14 cm |
| March | 8°C | −6°C | 0.7°C | 23 mm | 8 cm |
| April | 15°C | 0°C | 7.3°C | 45 mm | 7 cm |
| May | 21°C | 7°C | 14.2°C | 80 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 27°C | 13°C | 19.9°C | 97 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 31°C | 16°C | 23.6°C | 71 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 30°C | 15°C | 22.6°C | 56 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 26°C | 10°C | 17.7°C | 51 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 17°C | 2°C | 9.3°C | 41 mm | 0 cm |
| November | 8°C | −5°C | 1.4°C | 11 mm | 3 cm |
| December | 1°C | −12°C | −5.5°C | 9 mm | 10 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00394766; 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.
Which months are mildest at Lake Sharpe Project?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (6).
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 USC00394766.
When is the last frost at Lake Sharpe Project?
In Lake Sharpe Project, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 6 in half of years and after May 20 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 5 in half of years and before September 23 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 61 year in 10 after May 20; 9 in 10 after April 25
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 51 year in 10 before September 23; 9 in 10 before October 18
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 152 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 171 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 28 in half of springs and before October 16 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lake Sharpe Project in zone 4b in ZIP code 57339, 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 USC00394766; 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 at Lake Sharpe Project?
In a normal year in Lake Sharpe Project, 31 days a year reach 90°F (4 of them 100°F or more), 171 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 71 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 31a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 4a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 171a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 55high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 71a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 6a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00394766.
How sunny is it at Lake Sharpe Project?
Over a year 78% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Lake Sharpe Project, 4.2 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (86%) and December the cloudiest (71%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 78% | 2.0 |
| February | 79% | 3.0 |
| March | 72% | 3.9 |
| April | 72% | 5.0 |
| May | 74% | 5.9 |
| June | 80% | 6.7 |
| July | 86% | 6.9 |
| August | 83% | 5.7 |
| September | 81% | 4.5 |
| October | 74% | 3.0 |
| November | 74% | 2.0 |
| December | 71% | 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Lake Sharpe Project record?
A normal year at Lake Sharpe Project brings 7,441 heating degree days, 39% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 802 cooling degree days, 12% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,853 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,452 | 0 |
| February | 1,201 | 0 |
| March | 988 | 0 |
| April | 596 | 1 |
| May | 259 | 27 |
| June | 50 | 134 |
| July | 7 | 297 |
| August | 13 | 250 |
| September | 124 | 89 |
| October | 507 | 5 |
| November | 917 | 0 |
| December | 1,328 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,441 | 802 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00394766. 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.
Have recent years at Lake Sharpe Project been warmer than normal?
2025 averaged 48.7°F, 2.0°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 46.7°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48.7°F | +2.0°F | 17.78 | – |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00394766. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Lake Sharpe Project's climate compare?
Lake Sharpe Project is warmer than 67 of the 100 places with their own NOAA record in South Dakota, and wetter than 25. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 46.7°F is warmer than 26%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Lake Sharpe Project is Dwa: continental, dry-winter, hot summer. 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.
Which places near Lake Sharpe Project share this climate record?
3 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Fort Thompson, SD1,134 people · 3 mi E
- Lower Brule, SD777 people · 6 mi W
- West Brule, SD482 people · 9 mi W
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Lake Sharpe Project's climate
What is the coldest month at Lake Sharpe Project?
January, with a normal high of 29°F and a normal low of 7°F. The warmest is July (88°F by day, 61°F at night).
Does it snow at Lake Sharpe Project?
Yes: 19 inches in a normal year, falling on 8 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in February (5.4 inches).
What is the rainiest month at Lake Sharpe Project?
June, with 3.82 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is December with 0.35 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Lake Sharpe Project in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Lake Sharpe Project in zone 4b in ZIP code 57339, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Lake Sharpe Project?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 6; in one year in ten it comes after May 20. Waiting until May 20 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
- Stephan, SD14 miles from this station, 44.6°F a year
- Chamberlain, SD22 miles from this station, 48.2°F a year
- Kennebec, SD23 miles from this station, 48.1°F a year
- Gann Valley, SD24 miles from this station, 45.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made