Warm Temperatures Set Records Across South Dakota

October and November 2026 bring record-setting warmth and delayed hard freezes to several South Dakota cities.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Current Conditions

Wide open South Dakota prairie in late autumn, golden grass under a clear pale sky with a line of bare cottonwoods along the distant horizon. — Sioux Falls had not recorded a hard freeze as of November 11, the latest on record for the city, as warm temperatures set October and November records across South Dakota. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Warm temperatures have set October and November records across South Dakota. Sioux Falls had not recorded a hard freeze as of November 11, the latest on record for the city.

Why it matters

The delayed freezes and warm averages signal an unusually mild late fall across the state. The records are based on National Weather Service data from Aberdeen, Rapid City and Sioux Falls.

National Weather Service records show Aberdeen hit the hard freeze mark twice in October and twice in November, while Rapid City did so on October 16 and November 6. Forecasts for when cold temperatures will arrive were not included in the source data.

The players

National Weather Service

The National Weather Service is the federal agency that issues weather forecasts and maintains the climate observation records cited in this report.

The details

Sioux Falls had no hard freeze as of November 11, the latest on record, surpassing the 2016 record when the first sub-29 degree day arrived on November 9. In Rapid City, October ranked as the sixth-warmest in 85 years of records and November has been the 10th warmest on record so far.

November 9, 2016: First sub-29 degree day in Sioux Falls, the previous latest-freeze record.
October 16, 2026: Rapid City reaches the hard freeze mark.
November 6, 2026: Rapid City again reaches the hard freeze mark.
November 11, 2026: Sioux Falls still has no hard freeze, a record.

Seasonal Patterns

The delayed Sioux Falls freeze surpasses the November 9, 2016 record, when the first sub-29 degree day fell in the city. The 2026 delay places the city's first hard freeze later than any prior year in its records.

Residents should expect a delayed onset of hard freezes, so plant protection and winter preparation schedules may need adjusting. Check current local forecasts for freeze warnings before leaving tender plants or outdoor water lines exposed.

The takeaway

Unusually warm late-fall conditions can shift freeze-dependent tasks like garden cleanup and pipe protection later than usual. Monitoring official forecasts helps avoid being caught off guard when a sudden cold snap arrives.