Mellette County, SD Climate

Mellette, SD County has a semi-arid climate, with hot summers and cold winters. The average summer temperature is around 75 degrees Fahrenheit while the average winter temperature dips to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainfall can range from as low as 10 inches per year in some parts of the county to over 18 inches in other parts. Snowfall is generally light, with an average yearly amount of just under 20 inches. As a result of its semi-arid climate, Mellette County experiences long periods of drought and severe storms.

Mellette County, South Dakota gets 20 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

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

On average, there are 228 sunny days per year in Mellette County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Mellette County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 81 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 89 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 12
Rain: averages 20 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 40 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

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

8.9 Summer - 5.1 Winter

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

Climate	Mellette, South Dakota	United States
	20.2 in.	38.1 in.
	39.6 in.	27.8 in.
	81.1 days	106.2 days
	228 days	205 days
	88.5°	85.8°
	12.0°	21.7°
	7	7
	3.4	4.3
	2228 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 Mellette County with an average high temperature of 88.5°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in South Dakota. In Mellette County, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Mellette County are September, June and May.

In Mellette County, there are 37.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in South Dakota.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Mellette County with an average of 12.0°. This is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

In Mellette County, there are 159.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Mellette County, there are 17.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

Humidity in Mellette 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 Mellette County 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 6% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 20.2 inches in Mellette County means that it is drier than most places in South Dakota.

June is the rainiest month in Mellette County with 10.4 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 4.2 rainy days. There are 81.1 rainy days annually in Mellette County, which is about average compared to other places in South Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn 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 39.6 inches in Mellette County means that it is snowier than most places in South Dakota. March is the snowiest month in Mellette County with 9.0 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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