South Dakota Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Brookings, and Watertown
This month in numbers
June 2026 in South Dakota saw an average temperature of 19.11°C, which was exactly on par with the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures for the month were slightly below average at 26.28°C, a -0.1°C anomaly. Precipitation for June measured 75.69 mm, a deficit of 7.1 mm compared to the baseline, ranking 48th driest in 77 years of records. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C.
What changed
Looking at the April–June 2026 period, South Dakota's average temperature was 13.37°C, matching the baseline. Maximum temperatures for this three-month period were 20.91°C, an increase of +0.4°C above the baseline, ranking 21st warmest in 77 years. Precipitation for the same period was 57.15 mm, a notable deficit of 12.6 mm, ranking 56th driest. This contrasts with the global picture, where the April–June 2026 period was the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C. South Dakota's 3-month anomaly of +0.01°C places it as the 229th coolest out of 234 regions globally.
What’s driving change?
South Dakota experienced significant severe weather events in June. A severe storm system on June 29, 2026, brought a measured 131 mph wind gust in Hyde County, South Dakota, which is an extremely rare straight-line convective wind event, and also produced multiple confirmed tornado reports. Governor Larry Rhoden declared a state of emergency for the impacted counties due to the significant damage caused by these storms. Earlier in the month, from June 2-4, a series of thunderstorms brought widespread heavy rain and localized flash flooding, particularly around Oglala, Rosebud, and nearby communities, where 5–7 inches of rain fell in a short period, leading to significant flooding impacts. This period also saw tornado reports near Ideal and Hamill. These events represent an unusual concentration of both wildfires and floods for the region, with 4 wildfire events and 1 flood event logged over the past 12 months, and the recent events representing 100% of those annual totals. You can track active extreme weather events at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The 8 to 14 day outlook for South Dakota favours lower temperature chances statewide, with greater than usual precipitation chances.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USA
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) or 1991–2020 (rainfall). See methodology.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – South Dakota
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
South Dakota – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – South Dakota
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dwa · ContinentalSouth Dakota has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±16.5°C) and a wet/dry cycle (8× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Aug (+16 mm, +31%).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for South Dakota
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in South Dakota changing?
South Dakota is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for South Dakota come from?
Climate data for South Dakota comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the South Dakota climate data cover?
The South Dakota climate profile covers Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Brookings and surrounding areas. South Dakota climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the South Dakota climate update refreshed?
The South Dakota climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.