Douglas County, SD Climate

Douglas, SD County has a climate that is often described as semi-arid and continental. The average temperature in the area ranges from a high of 85°F in the summer months to a low of 15°F in the winter months. Precipitation averages around 13 inches each year, with most of the precipitation falling during spring and early summer. The area experiences occasional strong winds, particularly during dry spells. Snowfall accumulates to approximately 10 inches annually, usually beginning in mid-November and ending sometime in March. Overall, Douglas enjoys a mild climate ideal for outdoor activities throughout all four seasons.

Douglas County, South Dakota gets 25 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Douglas County averages 39 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 211 sunny days per year in Douglas County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Douglas County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 82 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 88 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 10
Rain: averages 25 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 39 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

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

8.8 Summer - 4.8 Winter

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

Climate	Douglas, South Dakota	United States
	24.7 in.	38.1 in.
	39.0 in.	27.8 in.
	82.0 days	106.2 days
	211 days	205 days
	88.1°	85.8°
	10.0°	21.7°
	7	7
	3.6	4.3
	1564 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 Douglas with an average high temperature of 88.1°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in South Dakota. In Douglas, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Douglas are September, June and May.

In Douglas, there are 32.1 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 Douglas with an average of 10.0°. This is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Douglas, there are 158.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Douglas, there are 19.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

The humidity is usually comfortable in Douglas but some summer days can be muggy. July is the most humid month, though it is still relatively mild compared to many other places. The most humid months are July, August and June.

June is the wettest month in Douglas with 3.8 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 37% of yearly precipitation and 7% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 24.7 inches in Douglas means that it is wetter than most places in South Dakota.

May is the rainiest month in Douglas with 10.2 days of rain, and December is the driest month with only 4.1 rainy days. There are 82.0 rainy days annually in Douglas, which is about average compared to other places in South Dakota. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 16% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 39.0 inches in Douglas means that it is snowier than most places in South Dakota. March is the snowiest month in Douglas with 7.6 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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