2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Drake, ND vs Rapid City, SD

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Highlights

On average, there are 226 sunny days per year in Rapid City. Drake averages 204 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. Drake, North Dakota gets 17.6 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. Drake averages 32.6 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

Drake, North Dakota
Summer High: the July high is around 81.8 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is -1.3
Rain: averages 17.6 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 32.6 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.

Drake

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Drake is 6.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in North Dakota.

6.5 / 10
July, August and June are the most pleasant months in Drake, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Today's Weather - Drake, ND

8 AM PST

Sunny

75°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TodaySunny99° / 67°S 15 to 20 mph
TuesdaySunny92° / 56°SW 21 mph
WednesdayChance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms78° / 46°NE 14 to 20 mph
ThursdayShowers And Thunderstorms55° / 39°NW 18 to 26 mph
FridayRain Showers Likely51° / 33°NW 26 mph
SaturdayPartly Sunny53° / 31°N 10 to 15 mph
SundaySlight Chance Rain Showers52° / 35°NE 9 to 14 mph
Today's Weather - Rapid City, SD

8 AM PST

Sunny

88°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TodaySunny96° / 64°S 12 to 15 mph
TuesdaySunny83° / 54°NW 10 to 15 mph
WednesdayShowers And Thunderstorms Likely69° / 47°NW 14 to 18 mph
ThursdayRain Showers Likely62° / 44°NW 22 to 32 mph
FridayMostly Sunny66° / 42°NW 14 to 21 mph
SaturdayMostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms68° / 43°E 3 to 12 mph
SundayShowers And Thunderstorms Likely54° / 38°NE 6 to 15 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthDrake, NDRapid City, SD
January19° / -1°38° / 14°
February24° / 4°39° / 16°
March36° / 16°47° / 23°
April55° / 30°57° / 32°
May67° / 42°67° / 43°
June76° / 52°76° / 52°
July82° / 57°85° / 59°
August81° / 55°85° / 58°
September70° / 45°74° / 47°
October56° / 32°60° / 35°
November36° / 17°47° / 24°
December22° / 3°37° / 15°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Drake / Rapid City
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 031 / 294 / 43 / 5
February0 / 028 / 263 / 52 / 5
March0 / 029 / 254 / 62 / 4
April0 / 018 / 154 / 91 / 3
May0 / 04 / 37 / 110 / 0
June2 / 20 / 09 / 120 / 0
July4 / 90 / 07 / 90 / 0
August5 / 80 / 06 / 80 / 0
September1 / 22 / 16 / 60 / 0
October0 / 016 / 105 / 71 / 1
November0 / 028 / 233 / 42 / 3
December0 / 031 / 294 / 43 / 4
July is the hottest month for Drake with an average high temperature of 81.8°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in North Dakota. In Drake, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Drake are June, August and July.

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 Drake with an average of -1.3°. This is colder than most places in North Dakota.

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 Drake, there are 13.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in North Dakota.

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 Drake, there are 186.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in North Dakota.

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 Drake, there are 46.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in North Dakota.

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.

June is the wettest month in Drake with 3.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.4 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 47% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 17.6 inches in Drake means that it is drier than most places in North Dakota.


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.

June is the rainiest month in Drake with 9.2 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 3.3 rainy days. There are 62.4 rainy days annually in Drake, which is one of the least rainy places in North Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 36% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 17% 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 32.6 inches in Drake means that it is one of the least snowy places in North Dakota.

An annual snowfall of 38.0 inches in Rapid City means that it is about average compared to other places in South Dakota.
January is the snowiest month in Drake with 7.0 inches of snow, and 8 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 Drake    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 Drake

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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 Drake, North Dakota
58736
Zips In RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA
57701, 57702
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