• December 2013 was a bitter cold and snowy month across central and northeast South Dakota along with west central Minnesota.  The month was among the top ten coldest at all locations.  The monthly average temperatures were from 7 to 9 degrees below normal.  Sisseton had their second coldest December on record with an average temperature of 8.4 degrees.  Wheaton tied for the third coldest December on record with an average temperature of 6.9 degrees.  Aberdeen and Watertown had their fourth coldest Decembers on record with 6.5 degrees and 7.9 degrees, respectively. Pierre had their fifth coldest December on record with 13.2 degrees.  Kennebec, Timber Lake, and Mobridge were all in the top ten coldest Decembers on record.
• It was also a snowy month across the region with snowfall amounts ranging from 9 to 17 inches or from 2 to 11 inches above normal.  The expansive snow cover across our region and to the north played a large factor in the bitter cold temperatures.  The snow cover allows for good cooling at night and little heat absorption from the sun during the daytime. 

• 2013 was a cool and wet year across central and northeast South Dakota as well as west central Minnesota.  Most all locations had their top ten coldest years on record.  The yearly average temperatures were from 2 to 3 degrees below normal which is large for a yearly average. Wheaton Minnesota had their all-time coldest year on record with an average yearly temperature of just 39.9 degrees.  Kennebec came in with their second coldest year on record with 46.5 degrees.  Aberdeen tied for the fourth coldest on record with an average temperature of 40.5 degrees.  Timber Lake and Mobridge both tied for their sixth coldest year on record with 43.8 and 43.2 degrees, respectively.  2013 at Watertown was 40.7 degrees and Pierre was 45.3 degrees or 8th and 10th, respectively, for their coldest years on record. 
• 2013 was also a wet year for most locations with several locations having one of their top ten wettest years on record.  Total yearly precipitation ranged from just above normal at Aberdeen to ten and a half inches above normal at Timber Lake.  Some of the big events in 2013 were the very snowy April across the region with 20 or more inches of snowfall occurring at many locations; the widespread severe thunderstorm wind damage in northeast South Dakota and west central Minnesota on June 21st; along with the devastating blizzard to hit mainly western South Dakota on October 4th and 5th.