Lead, SD Climate

Climate Insight: Lead, SD

Based on station USC00394834 feeding NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, Lead, South Dakota averages 46°F a year, ranging from a mean daily high of 58°F to a mean daily low of 35°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.

Precipitation patterns matter as much as temperature for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. Lead receives roughly 31.8 inches of precipitation each year, with 183.9 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 134 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 18 and the first fall freeze near September 29. For energy use, 7,206 heating degree days and 425 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.

On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Lead scores 54/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.