30-year climate normals

McCook County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

83.3°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 5.0°F.

McCook County gets 26.95" of precipitation a year, and 41% of it falls in Apr, May, Jun.

Temperature through the year

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

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Precip
January	23.6°	5.0°	0.55"
February	29.0°	9.1°	0.74"
March	42.6°	21.0°	1.36"
April	56.5°	31.9°	3.29"
May	69.7°	44.5°	3.80"
June	79.0°	55.8°	3.92"
July	83.3°	60.1°	2.97"
August	81.4°	57.5°	3.35"
September	74.0°	48.0°	3.03"
October	58.8°	34.5°	2.20"
November	42.3°	20.8°	1.07"
December	27.7°	9.8°	0.67"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 41% falling in the wettest three months (Apr, May, Jun).

January 0.55"

February 0.74"

March 1.36"

April 3.29"

May 3.80"

June 3.92"

July 2.97"

August 3.35"

September 3.03"

October 2.20"

November 1.07"

December 0.67"

Annual total 26.95"

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 588

Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 8,053

Approximate annual cooling cost At 15.73¢/kWh, South Dakota average $92

Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $443

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 McCook County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in McCook County?

McCook County averages a high of 83.3°F in July and a low of 5.0°F in January. Annual precipitation is 26.95 inches, with essentially no snow.

When is the rainy season in McCook County?

The wettest stretch is Apr, May, Jun, which accounts for 41% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in McCook County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 83.3°F. That drives 588 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in McCook County?

Effectively no. Measurable snowfall is rare in McCook County.

Sources

Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station SALEM 5NE, SD US (USC00395360), 5.1 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.