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Pierre, South Dakota climate

Dfa Hot-summer humid continental

Pierre has a strongly seasonal cool-temperate climate (Hot-summer humid continental, Köppen Dfa). The hottest month is July with an average daily high near 88°F, while the coldest is January averaging around 9°F at night. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year and is strongly seasonal — June alone averages 3.7 inches while January barely receives 0.45 inches. Winters bring significant snowfall (37 inches of snow per year on average).

☀️ Summers

Hot

Highs near 88°F in July.

About 38 days a year above 90 °F

❄️ Winters

Very cold

Lows near 9°F in January.

About 165 freezing nights a year

🌧️ Rain & snow

Fairly dry

About 20 in of rain a year, plus 37 in of snow.

Snow falls through the winter months

⛅ Sky & trend

Partly cloudy

A roughly even mix of sun and cloud.

−0.4 °F vs 50 years ago

Temperature & precipitation

Daily high–low temperature range with the monthly average, plus monthly precipitation split into rain and snow · 1991–2020 normals · hover a month for the exact figures

Hours of sunshine per day

Estimated sunny hours each month — daylight length × clear-sky fraction · 1991–2020 monthly cloud cover (NASA POWER)

Pierre climate normals (1991–2020)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg high (°F)	29	34	46	59	70	80	88	87	78	61	45	32
Avg temp (°F)	19	23	34	46	57	68	75	73	64	49	34	23
Avg low (°F)	9	13	23	33	45	56	62	59	50	36	23	13
Precipitation (in)	0.5	0.7	1.0	1.9	3.3	3.7	2.4	2.0	1.7	1.7	0.8	0.6
Snowfall (in)	5.1	8.0	5.0	5.3	—	—	—	—	—	1.3	6.3	6.2

Jan – Jun	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Avg high (°F)	29	34	46	59	70	80
Avg temp (°F)	19	23	34	46	57	68
Avg low (°F)	9	13	23	33	45	56
Precipitation (in)	0.5	0.7	1.0	1.9	3.3	3.7
Snowfall (in)	5.1	8.0	5.0	5.3	—	—

Jul – Dec	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg high (°F)	88	87	78	61	45	32
Avg temp (°F)	75	73	64	49	34	23
Avg low (°F)	62	59	50	36	23	13
Precipitation (in)	2.4	2.0	1.7	1.7	0.8	0.6
Snowfall (in)	—	—	—	1.3	6.3	6.2

How often — frequency of weather events

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Days with measurable rain (days)	6	6	6	9	11	11	9	8	6	7	5	6
Days with high ≥ 90°F (days)	—	—	—	0.3	1	4	14	12	5	0.6	—	—
Days with low ≤ 32°F (days)	31	27	25	13	2	—	—	—	0.6	10	25	31
Days with snowfall ≥ 1 in (days)	1	2	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	0.5	1	2

Jan – Jun	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Days with measurable rain (days)	6	6	6	9	11	11
Days with high ≥ 90°F (days)	—	—	—	0.3	1	4
Days with low ≤ 32°F (days)	31	27	25	13	2	—
Days with snowfall ≥ 1 in (days)	1	2	2	1	—	—

Jul – Dec	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Days with measurable rain (days)	9	8	6	7	5	6
Days with high ≥ 90°F (days)	14	12	5	0.6	—	—
Days with low ≤ 32°F (days)	—	—	0.6	10	25	31
Days with snowfall ≥ 1 in (days)	—	—	—	0.5	1	2

Sky & atmosphere

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cloud cover (%)	67	67	67	65	61	55	48	47	50	58	61	65
Relative humidity (%)	81	75	68	62	61	61	56	57	57	64	73	81
Wind speed (mph)	7.9	8.1	8.8	8.8	8.3	7.4	6.9	7.0	7.8	8.1	7.6	7.5

Jan – Jun	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Cloud cover (%)	67	67	67	65	61	55
Relative humidity (%)	81	75	68	62	61	61
Wind speed (mph)	7.9	8.1	8.8	8.8	8.3	7.4

Jul – Dec	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cloud cover (%)	48	47	50	58	61	65
Relative humidity (%)	56	57	57	64	73	81
Wind speed (mph)	6.9	7.0	7.8	8.1	7.6	7.5

Methodology & sources

Temperature & precipitation — the official 1991–2020 climate normals from NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals, measured at Pierre Rgnl AP (NOAA GHCN station USW00024025), about 5 km from the city centre.

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.

How we build these numbers →