2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Taos, NM vs Rapid City, SD
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Highlights
On average, there are 226 sunny days per year in Rapid City. Taos averages 283 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. Taos, New Mexico gets 13.1 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. Taos averages 37 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
Taos, New Mexico
Summer High: the July high is around 85.7 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 11.8
Rain: averages 13.1 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 37 inches of snow a year
BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX
Rapid CityThe 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.
TaosThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Taos is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in New Mexico.
7.3 / 10
June, September and August are the most pleasant months in Taos, while January and December are the least comfortable months.
Today's Weather - Taos, NM
11 PM PST
Mostly Clear
49°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Overnight | Mostly Clear | 41° / 73° | SE 5 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Mostly Clear | 39° / 69° | SW 5 to 25 mph |
| Thursday Night | Mostly Clear | 37° / 72° | S 5 to 20 mph |
| Friday Night | Mostly Clear | 39° / 73° | S 10 to 20 mph |
| Saturday Night | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy | 42° / 75° | S 5 to 20 mph |
| Sunday Night | Partly Cloudy | 41° / 68° | SW 15 to 20 mph |
| Monday Night | Mostly Clear | 39° / 73° | W 15 to 30 mph |
Today's Weather - Rapid City, SD
11 PM PST
Mostly Clear
44°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Overnight | Mostly Clear | 36° / 62° | W 6 mph |
| Wednesday Night | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely | 37° / 57° | NW 10 to 15 mph |
| Thursday Night | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 34° / 54° | W 9 to 18 mph |
| Friday Night | Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy | 33° / 67° | W 8 to 12 mph |
| Saturday Night | Mostly Clear | 45° / 76° | S 15 mph |
| Sunday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 51° / 71° | S 14 to 17 mph |
| Monday Night | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 44° / 67° | NW 21 mph |
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
| Month | Taos, NM | Rapid City, SD |
|---|
| January | 42° / 12° | 38° / 14° |
| February | 46° / 18° | 39° / 16° |
| March | 54° / 24° | 47° / 23° |
| April | 63° / 30° | 57° / 32° |
| May | 72° / 38° | 67° / 43° |
| June | 82° / 46° | 76° / 52° |
| July | 86° / 52° | 85° / 59° |
| August | 83° / 51° | 85° / 58° |
| September | 77° / 44° | 74° / 47° |
| October | 66° / 33° | 60° / 35° |
| November | 52° / 22° | 47° / 24° |
| December | 42° / 13° | 37° / 15° |
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Taos / Rapid City
| Month | Hot Days | Freezing Days | Rainy Days | Snowy Days |
|---|
| January | 0 / 0 | 31 / 29 | 4 / 4 | 3 / 5 |
| February | 0 / 0 | 27 / 26 | 4 / 5 | 3 / 5 |
| March | 0 / 0 | 28 / 25 | 5 / 6 | 2 / 4 |
| April | 0 / 0 | 18 / 15 | 5 / 9 | 1 / 3 |
| May | 1 / 0 | 5 / 3 | 5 / 11 | 0 / 0 |
| June | 3 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 5 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| July | 7 / 9 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
| August | 3 / 8 | 0 / 0 | 10 / 8 | 0 / 0 |
| September | 0 / 2 | 1 / 1 | 7 / 6 | 0 / 0 |
| October | 0 / 0 | 14 / 10 | 5 / 7 | 1 / 1 |
| November | 0 / 0 | 27 / 23 | 4 / 4 | 2 / 3 |
| December | 0 / 0 | 31 / 29 | 5 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
July is the hottest month for Taos with an average high temperature of 85.7°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in New Mexico. In Taos, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Taos are September, 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 Taos with an average of 11.8°. This is one of the coldest places in New Mexico.
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 Taos, there are 13.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in New Mexico.
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 Taos, there are 182.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in New Mexico.
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 Taos, there are 8.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in New Mexico.
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 Taos with 2.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.6 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 36% of yearly precipitation and 16% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 13.1 inches in Taos means that it is about average compared to other places in New Mexico.
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 Taos with 10.4 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 4.2 rainy days. There are 69.1 rainy days annually in Taos, which is rainier than most places in New Mexico. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 35% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 19% 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 37.0 inches in Taos means that it is snowier than most places in New Mexico.
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 Taos with 9.6 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.
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
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
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Reviews for Rapid City 
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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
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
Start Your Review of Rapid City
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