South Dakota Climate
Top 5 Cities: Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Brookings, and Watertown
This month in numbers
South Dakota experienced a cooler April, with the average temperature of 6.89°C ranking as the 41st coolest April in 77 years of records, an anomaly of -0.4°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. However, the broader picture for the February–April 2026 period shows a significantly warmer trend. The average temperature for these three months was 3.83°C, ranking as the 3rd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +3.5°C. Maximum temperatures for the same three-month period were also notably high at 11.53°C, making it the 2nd warmest February–April on record. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
While April brought a slight cool-down, the seasonal trend for February–April 2026 indicates a much warmer period for South Dakota, ranking as the 3rd warmest on record. This contrasts with April's cooler anomaly, placing South Dakota as the 5th coolest region globally for the month. The broader US has also experienced warmer than normal conditions, with April 2026 seeing most of the country much warmer than normal, except for North Dakota which was slightly cooler. South Dakota's 3-month anomaly of +3.55°C places it 30th warmest out of 234 regions globally, within a striking pattern where 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies were US states.
What’s driving change?
The unusually warm winter and spring conditions, particularly the 2nd warmest February–April for maximum temperatures, have contributed to an elevated fire risk in South Dakota. The state has seen an unusual concentration of wildfires recently, with four events occurring between May 14 and May 21, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. These fires, including the significant Qury Fire which burned over 9,000 acres, were fueled by critically dry prairie grass and strong winds. This increased wildfire activity is exacerbated by persistent drought conditions, with approximately 53% of South Dakota under active drought as of May 12, 2026, and an additional 26% classified as abnormally dry. The state's Drought Task Force was activated in early May to monitor and respond to these worsening conditions. South Dakota also experienced severe storms on May 17, bringing hail, damaging winds up to 80 mph, and brief tornadoes, along with flash flooding in some areas. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Forecasters anticipate above-average wildfire activity to continue as summer progresses in the Great Plains, including South Dakota, due to ongoing drought and warmer, drier conditions.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see 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.