Frost dates
Frost dates in South Dakota
Typical last spring frost and first fall frost for 166 weather stations across South Dakota, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals.
Last spring frost
May 1 – May 17
Typical across South Dakota (middle: May 8)
First fall frost
Sep 25 – Oct 7
Typical across South Dakota (middle: Oct 1)
Your own yard can differ by weeks from the nearest town. Get frost dates for your exact spot →
By town
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | May 9 | Sep 26 | 140 |
| Aberdeen 3 E | May 8 | Sep 29 | 144 |
| Aberdeen 35 WNW | May 10 | Sep 30 | 143 |
| Academy 2 NE | Apr 30 | Oct 8 | 161 |
| Alexandria | May 8 | Sep 29 | 144 |
| Andover #2 | May 6 | Oct 4 | 151 |
| Antelope RS | May 19 | Sep 19 | 123 |
| Ardmore 1 NW | May 16 | Sep 23 | 130 |
| Arlington 1 W | May 3 | Oct 2 | 152 |
| Armour | May 3 | Oct 6 | 156 |
| Astoria 4 S | May 6 | Oct 3 | 150 |
| Bear Ridge | May 17 | Sep 27 | 133 |
| Belle Fourche | May 10 | Sep 30 | 143 |
| Belle Fourche 22 NNW | May 15 | Sep 24 | 132 |
| Bison | May 10 | Oct 1 | 144 |
| Bonesteel | May 3 | Oct 10 | 160 |
| Bridgewater | Apr 30 | Oct 7 | 160 |
| Britton | May 13 | Sep 26 | 136 |
| Brookings 2 NE | May 6 | Oct 1 | 148 |
| Buffalo 13 ESE | May 20 | Sep 19 | 122 |
| Buffalo Asos | May 10 | Oct 1 | 144 |
| Camp Crook | May 17 | Sep 24 | 130 |
| Canton | May 2 | Oct 2 | 153 |
| Castlewood | May 10 | Sep 27 | 140 |
| Castlewood #2 | May 6 | Oct 1 | 148 |
| Cedar Butte | May 6 | Oct 4 | 151 |
| Centerville 6 SE | May 2 | Oct 1 | 152 |
| Chamberlain 5 S | May 3 | Oct 7 | 157 |
| Chamberlain Municipal Airport | May 1 | Oct 7 | 159 |
| Clark | May 5 | Oct 5 | 153 |
| Clark No2 | May 5 | Oct 5 | 153 |
| Clear Lake | May 7 | Oct 1 | 147 |
| Columbia 8 N | May 7 | Sep 29 | 145 |
| Conde | May 6 | Sep 29 | 146 |
| Cottonwood 2 E | May 16 | Sep 26 | 133 |
| Custer | May 18 | Sep 28 | 133 |
| Custer County Airport | May 23 | Sep 24 | 124 |
| De Smet | May 5 | Oct 4 | 152 |
| Deadwood | May 24 | Sep 25 | 124 |
| Dupree | May 8 | Oct 1 | 146 |
| Dupree 15 SSE | May 6 | Oct 2 | 149 |
| Edgemont | May 23 | Sep 20 | 120 |
| Edgemont 23 NNW | May 18 | Sep 27 | 132 |
| Elm Springs 3 ESE | May 8 | Oct 3 | 148 |
| Eureka | May 12 | Sep 27 | 138 |
| Faith | May 6 | Oct 5 | 152 |
| Faith Municipal Airport | May 7 | Oct 3 | 149 |
| Faulkton 1 NW | May 10 | Sep 28 | 141 |
| Flandreau | May 5 | Oct 1 | 149 |
| Forestburg 4 NNE | May 9 | Sep 28 | 142 |
| Fort Meade | May 8 | Oct 3 | 148 |
| Fort Pierre 17 WSW | May 10 | Sep 27 | 140 |
| Gann Valley 3 NNE | May 7 | Oct 1 | 147 |
| Gann Valley 4 NW | May 6 | Oct 1 | 148 |
| Gettysburg | May 7 | Oct 2 | 148 |
| Glad Valley 2 W | May 11 | Sep 30 | 142 |
| Gregory | May 6 | Oct 3 | 150 |
| Harrington | May 11 | Oct 1 | 143 |
| Harrold 12 SSW | May 17 | Sep 24 | 130 |
| Hereford 12 SW | May 8 | Oct 3 | 148 |
| Highmore 1 W | May 12 | Oct 1 | 142 |
| Highmore 23 N | May 14 | Sep 29 | 138 |
| Hill City | Jun 1 | Sep 10 | 101 |
| Hoover | May 19 | Sep 21 | 125 |
| Hot Springs | May 16 | Sep 27 | 134 |
| Howard | May 5 | Oct 2 | 150 |
| Huron Regional Airport | May 6 | Oct 2 | 149 |
| Interior 3 NE | May 5 | Oct 7 | 155 |
| Ipswich | May 8 | Sep 29 | 144 |
| Johnson Siding | May 20 | Sep 25 | 128 |
| Kennebec | May 12 | Sep 28 | 139 |
| Kirley 6 N | May 6 | Oct 4 | 151 |
| Kyle 2 E | May 11 | Oct 1 | 143 |
| Ladner 9 SW | May 13 | Sep 27 | 137 |
| Lake Sharpe Prj | May 6 | Oct 5 | 152 |
| Lead | May 18 | Sep 29 | 134 |
| Lemmon | May 10 | Sep 30 | 143 |
| Leola | May 9 | Sep 28 | 142 |
| Lodgepole 5 SW | May 30 | Sep 11 | 104 |
| Longvalley | May 9 | Oct 1 | 145 |
| Ludlow 3 SSE | May 16 | Sep 26 | 133 |
| Madison 2 SE | May 5 | Sep 30 | 148 |
| Manderson 3 NE | May 9 | Oct 4 | 148 |
| Martin | May 13 | Oct 2 | 142 |
| Martin 8 E | May 14 | Oct 1 | 140 |
| Maurine 12 SW | May 13 | Sep 28 | 138 |
| Mc Intosh 6 SE | May 9 | Sep 30 | 144 |
| Mc Laughlin | May 12 | Sep 28 | 139 |
| Mellette 4 W | May 11 | Sep 27 | 139 |
| Menno | May 1 | Oct 4 | 156 |
| Midland | May 12 | Sep 28 | 139 |
| Milbank | May 5 | Oct 2 | 150 |
| Milbank 4 NW | May 2 | Oct 4 | 155 |
| Milesville 5 NE | May 8 | Oct 2 | 147 |
| Miller | May 3 | Oct 3 | 153 |
| Mission | May 9 | Oct 1 | 145 |
| Mission 14 S | May 11 | Oct 2 | 144 |
| Mission Ridge 5 NW | May 6 | Oct 7 | 154 |
| Mitchell | Apr 27 | Oct 11 | 167 |
| Mitchell 2 N | May 2 | Oct 6 | 157 |
| Mitchell Municipal Airport | Apr 30 | Oct 5 | 158 |
| Mobridge 2 NNW | May 3 | Oct 8 | 158 |
| Mobridge Municipal Airport | May 5 | Oct 4 | 152 |
| Montrose 8 N | May 3 | Oct 4 | 154 |
| Mount Rushmore Nmem | May 15 | Oct 1 | 139 |
| Murdo | May 3 | Oct 9 | 159 |
| Newell | May 8 | Oct 1 | 146 |
| Oahe Dam | May 6 | Oct 5 | 152 |
| Oelrichs | May 15 | Sep 30 | 138 |
| Oglala 1 S | May 7 | Oct 4 | 150 |
| Onida 4 NW | May 8 | Oct 2 | 147 |
| Oral | May 15 | Sep 27 | 135 |
| Pactola Dam | May 28 | Sep 18 | 113 |
| Philip Airport | May 11 | Sep 30 | 142 |
| Pickstown | Apr 30 | Oct 13 | 166 |
| Pickstown 4 SSW | Apr 27 | Oct 13 | 169 |
| Pierre 24 S | May 6 | Oct 7 | 154 |
| Pierre Regional Airport | May 6 | Oct 3 | 150 |
| Pine Ridge Airport | May 16 | Sep 27 | 134 |
| Plainview 6 SSW | May 15 | Sep 27 | 135 |
| Pollock | May 8 | Sep 30 | 145 |
| Porcupine 11 N | May 17 | Sep 25 | 131 |
| Presho 7 NW | May 12 | Sep 29 | 140 |
| Ralph 1 N | May 18 | Sep 23 | 128 |
| Rapid City | May 3 | Oct 8 | 158 |
| Rapid City 4 NW | May 10 | Oct 5 | 148 |
| Rapid City Regional Airport | May 12 | Oct 1 | 142 |
| Rauville 2 W | May 7 | Sep 28 | 144 |
| Red Owl | May 16 | Sep 26 | 133 |
| Redfield | May 8 | Oct 1 | 146 |
| Redig 11 NE | May 15 | Sep 24 | 132 |
| Roscoe | May 7 | Oct 3 | 149 |
| Roy Lake | May 2 | Oct 9 | 160 |
| Salem 5 NE | May 7 | Sep 29 | 145 |
| Selby | May 8 | Oct 1 | 146 |
| Shadehill Reservoir | May 16 | Sep 24 | 131 |
| Sioux Falls | May 1 | Oct 6 | 158 |
| Sioux Falls 14 NNE | May 1 | Oct 4 | 156 |
| Sioux Falls Airport | Apr 26 | Oct 13 | 170 |
| Sisseton | May 4 | Oct 3 | 152 |
| Sisseton Municipal Airport | May 3 | Sep 30 | 150 |
| Spearfish | May 12 | Oct 2 | 143 |
| Stephan 2 NW | May 10 | Sep 29 | 142 |
| Summit 1 W | May 14 | Sep 28 | 137 |
| Timber Lake | May 10 | Sep 30 | 143 |
| Turton | May 7 | Oct 3 | 149 |
| Tyndall | May 1 | Oct 7 | 159 |
| Vermillion 2 SE | May 3 | Oct 3 | 153 |
| Victor 4 N | May 4 | Oct 3 | 152 |
| Wagner | Apr 29 | Oct 9 | 163 |
| Wasta | May 10 | Oct 1 | 144 |
| Watertown 2 S | May 3 | Oct 4 | 154 |
| Watertown Regional Airport | May 7 | Sep 30 | 146 |
| Waubay Natl Wild Life | May 1 | Oct 12 | 164 |
| Webster | May 4 | Oct 6 | 155 |
| Wentworth 2.5 WNW | May 2 | Oct 5 | 156 |
| Wessington Springs | May 2 | Oct 8 | 159 |
| White Lake | May 3 | Oct 5 | 155 |
| Wilmot | May 5 | Oct 1 | 149 |
| Wind Cave | May 15 | Sep 29 | 137 |
| Winfred 2 S | May 6 | Oct 3 | 150 |
| Winner | May 1 | Oct 9 | 161 |
| Winner Wiley Field | May 1 | Oct 10 | 162 |
| Wood | May 10 | Oct 1 | 144 |
| Yankton 2 E | Apr 27 | Oct 11 | 167 |
| Zeona 10 SSW | May 11 | Sep 28 | 140 |
Each date is the median: in half of years the frost comes earlier, in half later. Frost here means a low of 32°F or colder at the station. Low spots and valleys often frost a week or two earlier than these dates; hillsides and city centers later.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. The Field almanac also shows how often frost comes early or late, and a reanalysis reading for your exact location.