Chelsea, SD

Climate overview — based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals from MELLETTE 4 W, SD US.

Dfb Warm-summer humid continental climate 5b USDA hardiness Zone 5b

Year-round temperatures (°F)

20° 40° 60° 80° J F M A M J J A S O N D
Avg high Avg low

Climate summary

Chelsea has an annual average temperature of 42.8°F with about 23 inches of precipitation per year and 43.4 inches of snow. The warmest month is July (average high 83.7°F), and the coldest is January (average low 1.4°F). July is typically the wettest month (3.51 in) and January the driest (0.57 in). Snow typically falls from October through April.

Pleasant months
1 / 12
avg high 65–80°F, low ≥ 50°F
Annual swing
59.5°F
warmest to coldest month
Heating need
8,337
Cooling need
333

Best time to visit Chelsea

Full guide →

Climate change signal

All-time records →

7 of 366 (1.9%) of Chelsea's all-time daily heat records have been set since 2015. If records were spread evenly across the station's history, only about 5% would fall in any given decade.

1890s
12
1900s
28
1910s
22
1920s
24
1930s
86
1940s
34
1950s
27
1960s
15
1970s
22
1980s
33
1990s
20
2000s
25
2010s
18

Bars: number of all-time daily heat records still standing that were set in each decade.

Monthly averages

Month Avg High Avg Low Avg Temp Precipitation Snow Rainy days
January 22.1°F 1.4°F 11.8°F 0.57 in 8.5 in 6
February 27.2°F 5.1°F 16.2°F 0.65 in 7.8 in 6
March 40.0°F 17.1°F 28.6°F 0.90 in 5.6 in 6
April 55.8°F 29.2°F 42.5°F 2.11 in 5.4 in 8
May 68.5°F 42.8°F 55.7°F 3.34 in 11
June 78.5°F 54.2°F 66.3°F 3.47 in 11
July 83.7°F 58.9°F 71.3°F 3.51 in 9
August 81.8°F 55.2°F 68.5°F 2.54 in 8
September 73.8°F 45.1°F 59.5°F 2.35 in 7
October 58.5°F 31.7°F 45.1°F 2.12 in 0.9 in 7
November 41.8°F 18.6°F 30.2°F 0.73 in 5.9 in 5
December 27.7°F 7.2°F 17.5°F 0.67 in 9.3 in 6

Climate twins of Chelsea

Why these? →

The most climatically similar US cities at least 140 miles away (by monthly temperature + precipitation pattern).

Frost dates
Last spring / first fall frost
All-time records
Hottest, coldest, wettest
Planting calendar
What to plant, and when

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