2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Custer, SD vs Sterling, CO

Highlights

On average, there are 225 sunny days per year in Sterling. Custer averages 226 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Sterling, Colorado gets 17.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. Custer, South Dakota gets 19.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Sterling averages 31.2 inches of snow per year. Custer averages 55.3 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Sterling, Colorado
Summer High: the July high is around 90 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 15.3
Rain: averages 17.2 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 31.2 inches of snow a year

Custer, South Dakota
Summer High: the July high is around 79.5 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 15.5
Rain: averages 19.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 55.3 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Sterling is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Colorado.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Custer is 6.7 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in South Dakota.

Today's Weather - Custer, SD

46°F

Today's Weather - Sterling, CO

59°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Custer / Sterling

July is the hottest month for Custer with an average high temperature of 79.5°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in South Dakota. In Custer, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Custer are August, July and June.

July is the hottest month for Sterling with an average high temperature of 90.0°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Colorado. In Sterling, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Sterling are September, June and May.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Custer with an average of 15.2°. This is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Sterling with an average of 14.9°. This is about average compared to other places in Colorado.

In Custer, there are 4.7 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in South Dakota.

In Sterling, there are 44.2 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Colorado.

In Custer, there are 177.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in South Dakota.

In Sterling, there are 160.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Colorado.

In Custer, there are 12.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

In Sterling, there are 7.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Colorado.

May is the wettest month in Custer with 3.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 40% of yearly precipitation and 7% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 19.9 inches in Custer means that it is drier than most places in South Dakota.


July is the wettest month in Sterling with 2.8 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 45% of yearly precipitation and 6% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 17.2 inches in Sterling means that it is about average compared to other places in Colorado.

May is the rainiest month in Custer with 12.8 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 3.9 rainy days. There are 93.0 rainy days annually in Custer, which is one of the rainiest places in South Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 36% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 14% chance of a rainy day.

May is the rainiest month in Sterling with 8.7 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 2.5 rainy days. There are 61.3 rainy days annually in Sterling, which is one of the least rainy places in Colorado. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 36% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 13% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 55.3 inches in Custer means that it is one of the snowiest places in South Dakota.

An annual snowfall of 31.2 inches in Sterling means that it is less snowy than most places in Colorado.

April is the snowiest month in Custer with 11.5 inches of snow, and 9 months of the year have significant snowfall.

December is the snowiest month in Sterling with 6.4 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.