Clay County, SD Climate

Clay, SD County has a continental climate, which means the summers are warm and dry with occasional rainstorms. Winters are cold and snowy with frequent snowfall and below-freezing temperatures. Springtime is usually mild and pleasant, while fall brings cool temperatures and colorful foliage. Clay, SD County also experiences four distinct seasons with each one bringing its own unique weather patterns. The area averages over 24 inches of rainfall per year with most of the precipitation occurring in April through June. The average summer temperature is around 73 degrees Fahrenheit and the average winter temperature is around 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

Clay County, South Dakota gets 27 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Clay County averages 32 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 208 sunny days per year in Clay County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Clay 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 86 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 9
Rain: averages 27 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 32 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

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

9 Summer - 4.6 Winter

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

Climate	Clay, South Dakota	United States
	Unlock	38.1 in.
	32.0 in.	Unlock
	Unlock	106.2 days
	208 days	Unlock
	85.5°	85.8°
	Unlock	21.7°
	7	Unlock
	Unlock	4.3
	1226 ft.	Unlock

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 Clay County with an average high temperature of 85.5°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in South Dakota. In Clay County, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Clay County are September, June and August.

In Clay County, there are 21.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in South Dakota.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Clay County with an average of 8.6°. This is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Clay County, there are 157.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Clay County, there are 21.6 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 Clay County but some summer months can be sticky or muggy. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. The most humid months are July, August and June.

June is the wettest month in Clay County with 4.2 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.6 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 38% of yearly precipitation and 7% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 27.3 inches in Clay County means that it is one of the wettest places in South Dakota.

May is the rainiest month in Clay County with 10.7 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 3.9 rainy days. There are 81.7 rainy days annually in Clay County, 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 15% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 32.0 inches in Clay County means that it is one of the least snowy places in South Dakota. December is the snowiest month in Clay County with 6.7 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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