The remote server returned an error: (404) Not Found. 2025 Compare Climate & Weather: Anchorage, AK vs Rapid City, SD

2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Anchorage, AK vs Rapid City, SD

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Highlights

On average, there are 226 sunny days per year in Rapid City. Anchorage averages 126 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Rapid City, South Dakota gets 18.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. Anchorage, Alaska gets 17.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Rapid City averages 38 inches of snow per year. Anchorage averages 78.8 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Rapid City, South Dakota
Summer High: the July high is around 85.3 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 14.2
Rain: averages 18.2 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 38 inches of snow a year

Anchorage, Alaska
Summer High: the July high is around 67 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 8.6
Rain: averages 17.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 78.8 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index
Rapid City

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Rapid City is 7.0 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in South Dakota.

7 / 10
August, July and June are the most pleasant months in Rapid City, while February and January are the least comfortable months.

Anchorage

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Anchorage is 5.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Alaska.

5.5 / 10
July, June and August are the most pleasant months in Anchorage, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Today's Weather - Rapid City, SD

3 PM PST

Partly Sunny

57°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonPartly Sunny60° / 45°N 15 mph
WednesdayPartly Sunny69° / 48°E 2 to 12 mph
ThursdaySunny77° / 53°S 10 to 18 mph
FridayMostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms77° / 50°N 6 to 10 mph
SaturdaySunny84° / 57°S 5 to 15 mph
SundaySunny89° / 62°S 10 to 17 mph
MondayMostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms90° / 59°S 10 to 16 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthAnchorage, AKRapid City, SD
January23° / 9°38° / 14°
February27° / 11°39° / 16°
March35° / 17°47° / 23°
April46° / 28°57° / 32°
May58° / 38°67° / 43°
June65° / 47°76° / 52°
July67° / 51°85° / 59°
August65° / 49°85° / 58°
September56° / 41°74° / 47°
October41° / 28°60° / 35°
November28° / 15°47° / 24°
December24° / 11°37° / 15°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Anchorage / Rapid City
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 031 / 298 / 48 / 5
February0 / 027 / 267 / 57 / 5
March0 / 029 / 256 / 66 / 4
April0 / 021 / 155 / 93 / 3
May0 / 05 / 37 / 110 / 0
June0 / 20 / 09 / 120 / 0
July0 / 90 / 012 / 90 / 0
August0 / 80 / 014 / 80 / 0
September0 / 24 / 114 / 60 / 0
October0 / 021 / 1012 / 74 / 1
November0 / 028 / 239 / 48 / 3
December0 / 030 / 2910 / 411 / 4
July is the hottest month for Anchorage with an average high temperature of 67.0°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Alaska. In Anchorage, there are 0 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Anchorage are July, June and August.

July is the hottest month for Rapid City with an average high temperature of 85.3°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in South Dakota. In Rapid City, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Rapid City are June, September and August.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Anchorage with an average of 8.6°. This is about average compared to other places in Alaska.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Rapid City with an average of 14.2°. This is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

In Anchorage, there are 0.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Alaska.

In Rapid City, there are 22.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in South Dakota.

In Anchorage, there are 196.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in Alaska.

In Rapid City, there are 159.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Anchorage, there are 27.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Alaska.

In Rapid City, there are 14.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

August is the wettest month in Anchorage with 3.0 inches of rain, and the driest month is April with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 35% of yearly precipitation and 11% occurs in Summer, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 17.3 inches in Anchorage means that it is about average compared to other places in Alaska.


May is the wettest month in Rapid City with 3.8 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 38% of yearly precipitation and 6% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 18.2 inches in Rapid City means that it is drier than most places in South Dakota.

August is the rainiest month in Anchorage with 14.4 days of rain, and April is the driest month with only 4.7 rainy days. There are 111.8 rainy days annually in Anchorage, which is less rainy than most places in Alaska. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 16% chance of a rainy day.

June is the rainiest month in Rapid City with 11.8 days of rain, and November is the driest month with only 4.0 rainy days. There are 85.4 rainy days annually in Rapid City, which is rainier than most places in South Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 34% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 15% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 78.8 inches in Anchorage means that it is snowier than most places in Alaska.

An annual snowfall of 38.0 inches in Rapid City means that it is about average compared to other places in South Dakota.
December is the snowiest month in Anchorage with 17.8 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

March is the snowiest month in Rapid City with 8.6 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.

Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.

Reviews for Anchorage    2 Reviews
Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA
re:
Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

   |    Reply
NC For Me · Apex, NC
re:
Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

   |    Reply

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Reviews for Rapid City    2 Reviews
Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA
re:
Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

   |    Reply
NC For Me · Apex, NC
re:
Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Rapid City

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Zips In Anchorage, Alaska
99504, 99507, 99508, 99577, 99502, 99515, 99516, 99501, 99517, 99503, 17 total
Zips In RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA
57701, 57702
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