Cottonwood weather by month
What a typical year looks like in Cottonwood, South Dakota: average highs and lows, rain and snow, and the warmest and coldest days on record. Normals are the 1991–2020 averages at Cottonwood 2 E, 4 km from Cottonwood; records cover 1909–2026.
The year at a glance
- Precipitation a year
- 17.4 in441 mm
- Snow a year
- 38 in97 cm
- Last spring freeze
- May 15
- First fall freeze
- Sep 23
- Heating degree days
- 7,572
- Cooling degree days
- 716
Freeze dates are medians (half of years earlier, half later). Degree days use a 65°F base; HVAC design temperatures here are −17°−27° (heating, 99%) and 103°39° (cooling, 1%).
Month by month
Cottonwood in January
Highs average 33°1° and lows 8°−13°, with 0.41 in10 mm of precipitation and 5 in14 cm of snow in a typical January.
- Record high
- 80°27° (2015)
- Record low
- −42°−41° (1916)
- Heating degree days
- 1376
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Cottonwood in February
Highs average 37°3° and lows 11°−12°, with 0.56 in14 mm of precipitation and 6 in16 cm of snow in a typical February.
- Record high
- 76°24° (2015)
- Record low
- −43°−42° (1994)
- Heating degree days
- 1155
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Cottonwood in March
Highs average 48°9° and lows 20°−6°, with 1 in26 mm of precipitation and 6 in16 cm of snow in a typical March.
- Record high
- 88°31° (1910)
- Record low
- −33°−36° (1998)
- Heating degree days
- 961
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Cottonwood in April
Highs average 58°14° and lows 30°−1°, with 2 in50 mm of precipitation and 7 in17 cm of snow in a typical April.
- Record high
- 95°35° (1980)
- Record low
- −12°−24° (1936)
- Heating degree days
- 634
- Cooling degree days
- 1
Cottonwood in May
Highs average 68°20° and lows 42°6°, with 2.9 in74 mm of precipitation and 0.4 in1 cm of snow in a typical May.
- Record high
- 105°41° (1934)
- Record low
- 13°−11° (1944)
- Heating degree days
- 324
- Cooling degree days
- 19
Cottonwood in June
Highs average 79°26° and lows 53°12°, with 3.1 in78 mm of precipitation in a typical June.
- Record high
- 114°46° (1936)
- Record low
- 30°−1° (1969)
- Heating degree days
- 79
- Cooling degree days
- 110
Cottonwood in July
Highs average 88°31° and lows 59°15°, with 2.1 in53 mm of precipitation in a typical July.
- Record high
- 117°47° (2006)
- Record low
- 34°1° (1971)
- Heating degree days
- 12
- Cooling degree days
- 281
Cottonwood in August
Highs average 88°31° and lows 56°13°, with 1.6 in41 mm of precipitation in a typical August.
- Record high
- 113°45° (1935)
- Record low
- 27°−3° (1910)
- Heating degree days
- 24
- Cooling degree days
- 231
Cottonwood in September
Highs average 78°26° and lows 45°7°, with 1.2 in31 mm of precipitation in a typical September.
- Record high
- 108°42° (1931)
- Record low
- 10°−12° (1926)
- Heating degree days
- 172
- Cooling degree days
- 70
Cottonwood in OctoberThis month
Highs average 62°17° and lows 31°0°, with 1.5 in37 mm of precipitation and 2.2 in5.6 cm of snow in a typical October.
- Record high
- 98°37° (1910)
- Record low
- −14°−26° (2020)
- Heating degree days
- 576
- Cooling degree days
- 4
Cottonwood in November
Highs average 47°8° and lows 19°−7°, with 0.54 in14 mm of precipitation and 5 in12 cm of snow in a typical November.
- Record high
- 85°29° (1999)
- Record low
- −29°−34° (1959)
- Heating degree days
- 956
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Cottonwood in December
Highs average 36°2° and lows 10°−12°, with 0.48 in12 mm of precipitation and 6 in15 cm of snow in a typical December.
- Record high
- 77°25° (1939)
- Record low
- −41° (1916)
- Heating degree days
- 1303
- Cooling degree days
- 0