Mountain Plains, SD Climate

Mountain Plains, SD experiences a semi-arid climate with cold winters and warm summers. The area typically experiences an average of 16 inches of precipitation annually, most of which falls between the months of May and September. Snowfall is common, especially in the northern parts of the region during winter months. Temperatures are often below freezing from December to March, while July is the hottest month with temperatures averaging around 78°F. Generally the climate in Mountain Plains, SD can be described as mild yet dry throughout the year.

Climate	Mountain Plains, South Dakota	United States
Rainfall		38.1

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.