Climate Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 48°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Wasta, SD Climate
Annual temperature, rainfall, and a comfort score, sourced from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →
- 48°F
- Avg annual temp
- 49/100
- Comfort score
- 17.6"
- Annual precip
- 144d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Wasta
Wasta, South Dakota averages 48°F a year and scores 49/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 18% of U.S. cities.
- 48°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 49/100
- comfort score, milder than 18% of U.S. cities
- 17.6"
- annual precipitation · 30" snow
- 144 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
48°F (9°C)
Avg High
62°F
Avg Low
34°F
Annual Precip
17.6"
Annual Snow
30.4"
Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
48°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
17.6"
Plus 30.4" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Wasta) 49.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Wasta area.
How Wasta compares to every U.S. city
Wasta's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 Top 82% higher than 18% 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 Wasta
MethodologyZooming out from Wasta's own normal, the chart below shows how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has tracked the global mean since 1900 - the most recent decade sits warmer than the 30-year mean shown here.
- 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 | 35°F (2°C) | 9°F (-13°C) | 22°F (-5°C) | 0.3" | 3.8" | 30.7 | 0.0 |
| February | 39°F (4°C) | 13°F (-11°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 0.5" | 6.4" | 27.1 | 0.0 |
| March | 50°F (10°C) | 22°F (-5°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 0.9" | 5.5" | 26.4 | 0.0 |
| April | 60°F (16°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 1.9" | 3.7" | 15.1 | 0.3 |
| May | 70°F (21°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 3.5" | 0.1" | 2.9 | 1.2 |
| June | 80°F (27°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 67°F (20°C) | 2.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 5.8 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 2.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 13.9 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 1.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 14.8 |
| September | 79°F (26°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 1.4 | 6.8 |
| October | 63°F (17°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 1.8" | 1.1" | 14.3 | 0.7 |
| November | 49°F (9°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 0.6" | 4.2" | 26.8 | 0.0 |
| December | 37°F (3°C) | 12°F (-11°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 0.3" | 5.6" | 30.8 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.3"
Snow: 3.8"
2.8 days with precipitation
February 0.5"
Snow: 6.4"
3.4 days with precipitation
March 0.9"
Snow: 5.5"
3.7 days with precipitation
April 1.9"
Snow: 3.7"
6.8 days with precipitation
May 3.5"
Snow: 0.1"
8.7 days with precipitation
June 2.7"
9.1 days with precipitation
July 2.3"
6.7 days with precipitation
August 1.6"
5.5 days with precipitation
September 1.2"
4.4 days with precipitation
October 1.8"
Snow: 1.1"
5.2 days with precipitation
November 0.6"
Snow: 4.2"
2.8 days with precipitation
December 0.3"
Snow: 5.6"
2.8 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 1
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 10
50% probability date
Growing Season
144 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,065
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
819
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Wasta's climate means for you
Wasta runs 48°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 144 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 10 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 7,065 heating and 819 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: Wasta, SD
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Wasta, South Dakota as a location with an annual average temperature of 48°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 62°F to a mean daily low of 34°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00398911, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Wasta averages 17.6 inches of precipitation a year, with 30.4 inches typically falling as snow, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 144 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 10 and the first fall freeze near October 1. As for energy demand, 7,065 heating degree days and 819 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Wasta scores 49/100 (Moderate), 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 Wasta, SD? ▼
The average annual temperature in Wasta, South Dakota is 48°F. The warmest month averages 89°F (32°C) and the coldest averages 9°F (-13°C).
How much rain does Wasta get? ▼
Wasta receives 17.6 inches of precipitation annually, including 30.4 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Wasta? ▼
Wasta has a climate comfort score of 49/100 (Moderate), milder than 18% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Wasta? ▼
Wasta has approximately 144 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 10 and the first fall freeze around October 1.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Wasta? ▼
Wasta has 7,065 heating degree days and 819 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 Wasta climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00398911 near Wasta.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00398911. 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.