Milbank, South Dakota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Milbank's normal year runs from 4°F January nights to 81°F July afternoons, with 25.4 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 6.1°C, January lows of −16°C, July highs of 27°C, 646 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationMilbank
- Station IDUSC00395531
- Location45.23°N 96.62°W
- Elevation1,142 ft (348 m)
- From the centerunder 1 mile
- Population3,545
On October 22, the normal high in Milbank is 55°F and the normal low 32°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Milbank.
- Jan 21° 4°
- Feb 26° 7°
- Mar 38° 19°
- Apr 54° 32°
- May 67° 45°
- Jun 77° 56°
- Jul 81° 60°
- Aug 79° 57°
- Sep 72° 48°
- Oct 58° 35°
- Nov 41° 22°
- Dec 27° 10°
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 Milbank each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 81°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 4°F. The most precipitation falls in June (3.92 in), the least in February (0.70 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21°F | 4°F | 12.2°F | 0.71 | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 26°F | 7°F | 16.1°F | 0.70 | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 38°F | 19°F | 28.4°F | 1.18 | – | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 54°F | 32°F | 42.8°F | 2.41 | – | <1 | 16 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 67°F | 45°F | 55.8°F | 2.89 | – | 1 | 2 | 14 h 50 min |
| June | 77°F | 56°F | 66.6°F | 3.92 | – | 2 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| July | 81°F | 60°F | 70.6°F | 3.80 | – | 3 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| August | 79°F | 57°F | 68.2°F | 3.21 | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| September | 72°F | 48°F | 59.9°F | 2.60 | – | 1 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 58°F | 35°F | 46.3°F | 2.31 | – | <1 | 11 | 11 h |
| November | 41°F | 22°F | 31.3°F | 0.93 | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 30 min |
| December | 27°F | 10°F | 18.1°F | 0.77 | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 53°F | 33°F | 43.0°F | 25.43 | – | 8 | 171 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −6°C | −16°C | −11.0°C | 18 mm |
| February | −4°C | −14°C | −8.8°C | 18 mm |
| March | 3°C | −7°C | −2.0°C | 30 mm |
| April | 12°C | 0°C | 6.0°C | 61 mm |
| May | 19°C | 7°C | 13.2°C | 73 mm |
| June | 25°C | 13°C | 19.2°C | 100 mm |
| July | 27°C | 16°C | 21.4°C | 97 mm |
| August | 26°C | 14°C | 20.1°C | 82 mm |
| September | 22°C | 9°C | 15.5°C | 66 mm |
| October | 14°C | 2°C | 7.9°C | 59 mm |
| November | 5°C | −6°C | −0.4°C | 24 mm |
| December | −3°C | −12°C | −7.7°C | 20 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Wilmot (17 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 USC00395531; 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 Milbank?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
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 USC00395531.
When is the last frost in Milbank?
In Milbank, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 5 in half of years and after May 18 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 2 in half of years and before September 20 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 51 year in 10 after May 18; 9 in 10 after April 22
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 21 year in 10 before September 20; 9 in 10 before October 15
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 150 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 168 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 25 in half of springs and before October 13 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Milbank in zone 4b in ZIP code 57252, 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 USC00395531; 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 Milbank?
In a normal year in Milbank, 8 days a year reach 90°F and 171 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 8a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 171a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 87high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00395531.
How sunny is Milbank?
Over a year 76% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Milbank, 4.0 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (83%) and December the cloudiest (65%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 78% | 1.9 |
| February | 82% | 3.0 |
| March | 73% | 3.9 |
| April | 72% | 4.9 |
| May | 71% | 5.6 |
| June | 76% | 6.3 |
| July | 83% | 6.6 |
| August | 81% | 5.5 |
| September | 78% | 4.2 |
| October | 70% | 2.7 |
| November | 70% | 1.8 |
| December | 65% | 1.3 |
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 Milbank need?
A normal year in Milbank brings 8,452 heating degree days, 57% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 483 cooling degree days, 47% 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 2,372 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,636 | 0 |
| February | 1,367 | 0 |
| March | 1,135 | 0 |
| April | 667 | 1 |
| May | 310 | 23 |
| June | 55 | 101 |
| July | 12 | 186 |
| August | 30 | 129 |
| September | 192 | 39 |
| October | 584 | 4 |
| November | 1,010 | 0 |
| December | 1,454 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,452 | 483 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00395531. 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 Milbank been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 44.7°F, 1.7°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 43.0°F. 4 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 45.4°F | +2.4°F | 28.79 |
| 2022 | 41.8°F | −1.2°F | 23.11 |
| 2023 | 44.4°F | +1.4°F | 23.12 |
| 2024 | 46.1°F | +3.1°F | 23.67 |
| 2025 | 44.7°F | +1.7°F | 29.81 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00395531. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Milbank's climate compare?
Milbank is warmer than 11 of the other 99 places with their own NOAA record in South Dakota, and wetter than 70. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 43.0°F is warmer than 12%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Milbank is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm 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 Milbank share this climate record?
10 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.
- Ortonville, MN1,970 people · 10 mi NE
- Clinton, MN371 people · 19 mi NE
- Bellingham, MN141 people · 18 mi E
- Marietta, MN116 people · 18 mi SE
- Stockholm, SD106 people · 12 mi SW
- Odessa, MN103 people · 14 mi E
- Nassau, MN66 people · 14 mi SE
- Strandburg, SD66 people · 14 mi SW
- La Bolt, SD62 people · 13 mi S
- Twin Brooks, SD47 people · 8 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.
What do Milbank's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Milbank. This page uses Milbank; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From the center | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milbank (4 mi NW) USC00395536 | 5 mi N | 1,145 ft | 44.0°F | 2°F | 84°F | – | – | May 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Milbank's climate
What is the coldest month in Milbank?
January, with a normal high of 21°F and a normal low of 4°F. The warmest is July (81°F by day, 60°F at night).
Does it snow in Milbank?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Milbank's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Wilmot (17 miles away), records 51 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Milbank?
June, with 3.92 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.70 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Milbank in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Milbank in zone 4b in ZIP code 57252, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Milbank?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 5; in one year in ten it comes after May 18. Waiting until May 18 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
- Wilmot, SD17 miles from this station, 43.2°F a year
- Summit, SD22 miles from this station, 42.6°F a year
- Artichoke Lake (1 mi E), MN27 miles from this station, 44.7°F a year
- Madison, MN27 miles from this station, 43.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made