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United States › South Dakota › Hughes County › Climate Station PIERRE RGNL AP, SD US Distance 15.3 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Hughes County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

88.3°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 9.3°F.

Hughes County gets 20.2" of precipitation a year and 37.2" of snow, and 46% 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 29.0° 9.3° 0.45" 5.1"
February 33.7° 12.6° 0.74" 8.0"
March 45.7° 22.9° 0.96" 5.0"
April 58.5° 33.3° 1.93" 5.3"
May 69.5° 44.9° 3.25" 0.0"
June 80.0° 55.6° 3.69" 0.0"
July 88.3° 61.6° 2.39" 0.0"
August 86.6° 59.4° 1.95" 0.0"
September 77.5° 49.7° 1.74" 0.0"
October 60.7° 36.2° 1.69" 1.3"
November 44.9° 23.2° 0.77" 6.3"
December 32.4° 13.2° 0.64" 6.2"

Rainfall by month

Hughes County has a distinct wet season. 46% of the year's precipitation arrives in May, Jun, Jul.

January 0.45"
February 0.74"
March 0.96"
April 1.93"
May 3.25"
June 3.69"
July 2.39"
August 1.95"
September 1.74"
October 1.69"
November 0.77"
December 0.64"
Annual total 20.2"

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 837
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 7,348
Approximate annual cooling cost At 15.73¢/kWh, South Dakota average $132
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $405

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 Hughes County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Hughes County?

Hughes County averages a high of 88.3°F in July and a low of 9.3°F in January. Annual precipitation is 20.2 inches, including 37.2 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Hughes County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 46% 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 Hughes County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 88.3°F. That drives 837 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Hughes County?

Yes. Hughes County averages 37.2 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station PIERRE RGNL AP, SD US (USW00024025), 15.3 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.