2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Rapid City, SD vs Elgin, IL

Highlights

On average, there are 190 sunny days per year in Elgin. Rapid City averages 226 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Elgin, Illinois gets 37.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. Rapid City, South Dakota gets 18.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Elgin averages 32.6 inches of snow per year. Rapid City averages 38 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Elgin, Illinois
Summer High: the July high is around 84.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 12.7
Rain: averages 37.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 32.6 inches of snow a year

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

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Elgin is 6.8 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in Illinois.

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.

Today's Weather - Rapid City, SD

71°F

Today's Weather - Elgin, IL

46°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Rapid City / Elgin

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.

July is the hottest month for Elgin with an average high temperature of 84.6°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Illinois. In Elgin, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Elgin are September, June and August.

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.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Elgin with an average of 12.7°. This is one of the coldest places in Illinois.

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 Elgin, there are 17.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Illinois.

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 Elgin, there are 144.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in Illinois.

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.

In Elgin, there are 11.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Illinois.

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 wettest month in Elgin with 4.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 1.6 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 34% of yearly precipitation and 14% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 37.9 inches in Elgin means that it is drier than most places in Illinois.

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.

May is the rainiest month in Elgin with 12.1 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 7.7 rainy days. There are 120.5 rainy days annually in Elgin, which is rainier than most places in Illinois. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 23% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 38.0 inches in Rapid City means that it is about average compared to other places in South Dakota.

An annual snowfall of 32.6 inches in Elgin means that it is snowier than most places in Illinois.

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

January is the snowiest month in Elgin with 10.9 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.