Hand County, SD Climate

Hand County, SD has a semi-arid climate with extremely hot summers and cold winters. In the summer months, temperatures usually stay in the high 70s to mid 90s, while in winter temperatures can drop as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit. The county also receives an average of just 14 inches of precipitation annually, making it quite dry for most of the year. Winters tend to be windy and many days can become bitterly cold, making it important to dress appropriately when outdoors during these months.

Hand County, South Dakota gets 22 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Hand County averages 36 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 209 sunny days per year in Hand County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Hand County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 68 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 6
Rain: averages 22 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 36 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Hand County is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in South Dakota.

9.2 Summer - 4.5 Winter

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

Climate	Hand, South Dakota	United States
	Unlock	38.1 in.
	35.5 in.	Unlock
	Unlock	106.2 days
	209 days	Unlock
	85.9°	85.8°
	Unlock	21.7°
	6.9	Unlock
	Unlock	4.3
	1652 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 Hand County with an average high temperature of 85.9°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in South Dakota. In Hand County, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Hand County are June, September and August.

In Hand County, there are 22.7 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 Hand County with an average of 6.0°. This is about average compared to other places in South Dakota.

In Hand County, there are 171.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in South Dakota.

In Hand County, there are 28.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in South Dakota.

Humidity in Hand County 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 Hand County with 3.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.4 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 41% of yearly precipitation and 7% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 21.7 inches in Hand County means that it is drier than most places in South Dakota.

May is the rainiest month in Hand County with 9.0 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 3.2 rainy days. There are 67.5 rainy days annually in Hand County, which is one of the least rainy places in South Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 34% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 15% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 35.5 inches in Hand County means that it is less snowy than most places in South Dakota. February is the snowiest month in Hand County with 7.6 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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