Mission, SD Climate

Mission, SD has a humid continental climate with cold winters and hot, wet summers. The average temperature in winter is typically around 25°F while the average temperature in summer is usually around 80°F. Despite its location on the northern Great Plains, Mission experiences mild and pleasant weather for much of the year with occasional snowfall during the winter months. Precipitation is relatively low compared to other parts of the United States, but it still falls frequently throughout the year. Rain is common during summer months and can be quite heavy at times while snowfall during winter months tends to be light but still provides some relief from cold temperatures.

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

Mission averages 40 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 224 sunny days per year in Mission. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Mission gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 83 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 11
Rain: averages 21 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 40 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Mission is 7.0 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in South Dakota.

9 Summer - 5.1 Winter

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

Climate	Mission, South Dakota	United States
	20.7 in.	38.1 in.
	39.8 in.	27.8 in.
	82.7 days	106.2 days
	224 days	205 days
	87.4°	85.8°
	11.4°	21.7°
	7	7
	3.6	4.3
	2582 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 Mission with an average high temperature of 87.4°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in South Dakota. In Mission, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Mission are June, September and August.

In Mission, there are 32.2 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 Mission with an average of 11.4°. This is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Mission, there are 164.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Mission, there are 18.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

Humidity in Mission 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.

June is the wettest month in Mission with 3.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.4 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 39% of yearly precipitation and 7% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 20.7 inches in Mission means that it is drier than most places in South Dakota.

June is the rainiest month in Mission with 10.9 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 4.1 rainy days. There are 82.7 rainy days annually in Mission, which is rainier than most places in South Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 32% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 16% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 39.8 inches in Mission means that it is snowier than most places in South Dakota. March is the snowiest month in Mission with 8.3 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.