Whitewood, SD Climate

Whitewood, SD experiences all four seasons throughout the year, with hot summers and cold winters. During the summer months temperatures can reach up to 95 degrees while during the winter temperatures can dip as low as -30 degrees. The area receives an average of 17 inches of precipitation annually, mostly from snowfall in winter months. The area is also prone to severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes due to its location in the Great Plains region.

Whitewood, South Dakota gets 21 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Whitewood averages 35 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 223 sunny days per year in Whitewood. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Whitewood gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 91 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 87 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 16
Rain: averages 21 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 35 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Whitewood is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in South Dakota.

9.1 Summer - 5.2 Winter

August, June and September are the most pleasant months in Whitewood, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Whitewood, South Dakota	United States
	21.0 in.	38.1 in.
	34.9 in.	27.8 in.
	90.5 days	106.2 days
	223 days	205 days
	86.6°	85.8°
	16.3°	21.7°
	7.1	7
	4.7	4.3
	3655 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Whitewood with an average high temperature of 86.6°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in South Dakota. In Whitewood, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Whitewood are June, September and August.

In Whitewood, there are 27.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in South Dakota.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Whitewood with an average of 16.3°. This is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

In Whitewood, there are 146.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

In Whitewood, there are 14.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

Humidity in Whitewood is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are July, August and June.

May is the wettest month in Whitewood with 3.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 36% of yearly precipitation and 9% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 21.0 inches in Whitewood means that it is drier than most places in South Dakota.

June is the rainiest month in Whitewood with 11.5 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 5.6 rainy days. There are 90.5 rainy days annually in Whitewood, which is one of the rainiest places in South Dakota. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 19% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 34.9 inches in Whitewood means that it is less snowy than most places in South Dakota. March is the snowiest month in Whitewood with 7.9 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.