Climate Comfort Score
39/100
Below Average
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 44°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
- 44°F
- Avg annual temp
- 39/100
- Comfort score
- 19.2"
- Annual precip
- 146d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Selby
Selby, South Dakota averages 44°F a year and scores 39/100 on the comfort index - below average, milder than 4% of U.S. cities.
- 44°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 39/100
- comfort score, milder than 4% of U.S. cities
- 19.2"
- annual precipitation · 33" snow
- 146 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
44°F (7°C)
Avg High
55°F
Avg Low
33°F
Annual Precip
19.2"
Annual Snow
33.4"
Comfort Score
39/100
Below Average
Avg Annual Temperature
44°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
19.2"
Plus 33.4" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Selby) 39.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Below Average for the Selby area.
How Selby compares to every U.S. city
Selby's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
39 Top 96% higher than 4% 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 Selby
MethodologySelby's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running warmer than the 30-year mean.
- 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 | 23°F (-5°C) | 4°F (-16°C) | 14°F (-10°C) | 0.4" | 4.0" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 28°F (-2°C) | 8°F (-14°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 0.6" | 7.0" | 27.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 41°F (5°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.8" | 5.1" | 27.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 55°F (13°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 1.6" | 4.4" | 17.6 | 0.0 |
| May | 67°F (20°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 2.8" | 0.2" | 3.4 | 0.5 |
| June | 78°F (25°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 3.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| July | 84°F (29°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 2.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 6.7 |
| August | 83°F (28°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 2.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 6.0 |
| September | 74°F (23°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 1.6" | 0.0" | 1.1 | 2.2 |
| October | 58°F (14°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 1.8" | 1.6" | 13.5 | 0.1 |
| November | 41°F (5°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 0.5" | 3.5" | 26.6 | 0.0 |
| December | 28°F (-2°C) | 10°F (-12°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 0.5" | 7.6" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.4"
Snow: 4.0"
5.0 days with precipitation
February 0.6"
Snow: 7.0"
5.4 days with precipitation
March 0.8"
Snow: 5.1"
5.9 days with precipitation
April 1.6"
Snow: 4.4"
7.3 days with precipitation
May 2.8"
Snow: 0.2"
10.1 days with precipitation
June 3.5"
10.8 days with precipitation
July 2.7"
8.4 days with precipitation
August 2.4"
7.5 days with precipitation
September 1.6"
6.1 days with precipitation
October 1.8"
Snow: 1.6"
6.6 days with precipitation
November 0.5"
Snow: 3.5"
4.2 days with precipitation
December 0.5"
Snow: 7.6"
4.4 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 1
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 8
50% probability date
Growing Season
146 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
8,337
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
623
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Selby's climate means for you
Selby runs 44°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 146 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 8 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 8,337 heating and 623 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: Selby, SD
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Selby, South Dakota as a location with an annual average temperature of 44°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 55°F to a mean daily low of 33°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00397545, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Selby averages 19.2 inches of precipitation a year, with 33.4 inches typically falling as snow, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 146 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 8 and the first fall freeze near October 1. As for energy demand, 8,337 heating degree days and 623 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Selby scores 39/100 (Below Average), 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 Selby, SD? ▼
The average annual temperature in Selby, South Dakota is 44°F. The warmest month averages 84°F (29°C) and the coldest averages 4°F (-16°C).
How much rain does Selby get? ▼
Selby receives 19.2 inches of precipitation annually, including 33.4 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Selby? ▼
Selby has a climate comfort score of 39/100 (Below Average), milder than 4% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Selby? ▼
Selby has approximately 146 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 8 and the first fall freeze around October 1.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Selby? ▼
Selby has 8,337 heating degree days and 623 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 Selby climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00397545 near Selby.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00397545. 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.