South Dakota has a continental climate with four distinct seasons, ranging from cold, dry winters to warm and semi-humid summers. During the summers, the state's average high temperature is often close to , although it cools to near at night. It is not unusual for South Dakota to have severe hot, dry spells in the summer with the temperature climbing above several times a year. Winters are cold with January high temperatures averaging below freezing and low temperatures averaging below in most of the state. The highest recorded temperature is at Usta on July 15, 2006 and the lowest recorded temperature is at McIntosh on February 17, 1936.