Since South Dakota covers a variety of different geographic features, each area also has different weather patterns. South Dakota can be categorized into two primary climate classifications based on different locations in the state. The eastern half of the state has a humid continental climate (moderate humidity and precipitation throughout all four seasons of the year), while the western half is listed as having a semi-arid climate (dry with low average precipitation. As a result of its location in the center of and northern parts of the US, South Dakota faces an assortment of temperature extremes, with very windy blazing summers and freezing winters. Visit Weather and Climate in South Dakota for more information about this.