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Watertown, South Dakota climate
Dfa Hot-summer humid continental
Watertown has a strongly seasonal cold-temperate climate (Hot-summer humid continental, Köppen Dfa). The hottest month is July with an average daily high near 83°F, while the coldest is January averaging around 4°F at night. Precipitation totals about 21 inches a year and is strongly seasonal — June alone averages 3.5 inches while January barely receives 0.36 inches.
Temperature & precipitation
Daily high–low temperature range with the monthly average, plus monthly precipitation · 1991–2020 normals · hover a month for the exact figuresHours of sunshine per day
Estimated sunny hours each month — daylight length × clear-sky fraction · 1991–2020 monthly cloud cover (NASA POWER)Watertown climate normals (1991–2020)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 23 | 27 | 40 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 58 | 41 | 27 |
| Avg temp (°F) | 13 | 18 | 30 | 44 | 57 | 67 | 72 | 70 | 61 | 47 | 32 | 19 |
| Avg low (°F) | 4 | 8 | 21 | 33 | 45 | 56 | 61 | 59 | 50 | 37 | 23 | 11 |
| Precipitation (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 23 | 27 | 40 | 56 | 69 | 78 |
| Avg temp (°F) | 13 | 18 | 30 | 44 | 57 | 67 |
| Avg low (°F) | 4 | 8 | 21 | 33 | 45 | 56 |
| Precipitation (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 3.5 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 83 | 81 | 73 | 58 | 41 | 27 |
| Avg temp (°F) | 72 | 70 | 61 | 47 | 32 | 19 |
| Avg low (°F) | 61 | 59 | 50 | 37 | 23 | 11 |
| Precipitation (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Sky & atmosphere
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 64 | 63 | 68 | 64 | 63 | 58 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 59 | 61 | 64 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 88 | 83 | 74 | 67 | 66 | 68 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 70 | 78 | 86 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 9.2 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.9 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 64 | 63 | 68 | 64 | 63 | 58 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 88 | 83 | 74 | 67 | 66 | 68 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 9.2 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 8.6 | 7.4 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 48 | 49 | 49 | 59 | 61 | 64 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 70 | 78 | 86 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.9 |
Methodology & sources
Temperature & precipitation — 1991–2020 normals computed from 30 years of daily observations at Watertown Municipal Arpt, a weather station, about 3 km from the city centre. The underlying daily records come from NOAA's global station network.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.