Cost to Own
United StatesSouth DakotaBennett CountyClimate Station MARTIN, SD US Distance 3.1 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Bennett County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

87.3°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 12.7°F.

Bennett County gets 20.68" of precipitation a year and 48.4" of snow, and 47% of it falls in May, Jun, Jul.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

20° 40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 34.9° 12.7° 0.42" 4.7"
February 38.2° 15.1° 0.65" 7.8"
March 49.6° 24.0° 1.23" 8.8"
April 58.7° 31.9° 2.40" 9.0"
May 68.9° 42.4° 3.33" 1.8"
June 79.4° 52.6° 3.46" 0.0"
July 87.3° 59.2° 2.86" 0.0"
August 85.9° 57.2° 2.16" 0.0"
September 77.4° 47.9° 1.19" 0.1"
October 60.9° 34.6° 1.60" 2.4"
November 46.7° 22.7° 0.75" 5.7"
December 35.8° 14.8° 0.63" 8.1"

Rainfall by month

Bennett County has a distinct wet season. 47% of the year's precipitation arrives in May, Jun, Jul.

January 0.42"
February 0.65"
March 1.23"
April 2.40"
May 3.33"
June 3.46"
July 2.86"
August 2.16"
September 1.19"
October 1.60"
November 0.75"
December 0.63"
Annual total 20.68"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 697
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 7,059
Approximate annual cooling cost At 15.73¢/kWh, South Dakota average $110
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $389

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Bennett County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Bennett County?

Bennett County averages a high of 87.3°F in July and a low of 12.7°F in January. Annual precipitation is 20.68 inches, including 48.4 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Bennett County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 47% of the year's precipitation. That is a pronounced wet season rather than rain spread evenly through the year.

How hot does it get in Bennett County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 87.3°F. That drives 697 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Bennett County?

Yes. Bennett County averages 48.4 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station MARTIN, SD US (USC00395281), 3.1 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, South Dakota residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.