Get our free mobile app

The 5 Best Things About February In South Dakota

I hate winter. Let's just get that out of the way first.

I think maybe I loved winter until I was about, oh, ten years old. Playing in the snow, ignoring the cold. It was a hoot. But truth be known, it's been a long time since I was ten.

Ever since then, I have NOT been a fan. And with that being said, I have found the best 5 things about February here in the Sunshine State.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

LOOK: Things from the year you were born that don't exist anymore

The iconic (and at times silly) toys, technologies, and electronics have been usurped since their grand entrance, either by advances in technology or breakthroughs in common sense. See how many things on this list trigger childhood memories—and which ones were here and gone so fast you missed them entirely.

I hate winter. Let's just get that out of the way first.

I think maybe I loved winter until I was about, oh, ten years old. Playing in the snow, ignoring the cold. It was a hoot. But truth be known, it's been a long time since I was ten.

Ever since then, I have NOT be a fan. And with that being said, I have found the best 5 things about February here in the Sunshine State.

Get our free mobile app

Number One: January is back there, in the rearview mirror. We're done with January, we don't have that to face anymore. Yes, you have to scrape the ice off the rearview mirror to see it, but trust me, it's behind us. Thankfully.

Number Two: March, April, and May are just up ahead! Put those headlights on bright and you'll see 'em! That's our old friend March just past that pile of snow and sure enough, his friends April and May are waving at us. It's been a while since we've seen them, but brush that snow off the windshield and sho-nuff, there they are in all their glory. Oh, they may hold a little snow, but it melts soon enough.

Number Three: There's baseball on TV. Oh, I know not the real deal, but baseball nonetheless. And if my Minnesota Twins are pitching and catching (no, not in Minnesota, down in Florida), that has to mean spring is right around the proverbial corner. But of course, before I watch the game, I have to put on my flannel shirt, sweatshirt, parka, and snow boots to run to the store.

Number Four: Come February in South Dakota, that lawnmower in the corner of the garage looks like a thing of beauty! Yes, last September I hated that thing, hated pulling it out into the bright sunshine and pushing back and forth and back and forth and back and forth, endlessly. It was ugly. But as if by some February magic, I wish I would crank 'er up and push, push, push...but I'd have to move the snow first.

And finally, Number Five: It's a short month. I guess even those bright folks that invented the calendar all those years ago didn't care much for February. After all, they made it the shortest month of the year. Oh, they loved July alright, but February? Not so much. They said 28 days and nights were enough for this stinker. I know, I know, every four years they throw in an extra day, but hey, it's still not 31!

So if you're like me and, ah, don't care much for the loveliness of winter, we'll be kicking February to the curb before long. The public swimming pools aren't open quite yet, but they will be.

And for those of you that put February in your best month of the year category, celebrate now! It'll be over before long.

More From KXRB