2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Rapid City, SD vs Billings, MT

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Highlights

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

Billings, Montana gets 14.2 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.

Billings averages 46.3 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

Billings, Montana
Summer High:
the July high is around 88.3 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 15.8
Rain: averages 14.2 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 46.3 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
Billings

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

7 / 10
June, September and August are the most pleasant months in Billings, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

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.

Today's Weather - Rapid City, SD

5 PM PST

Partly Cloudy

75°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TonightPartly Cloudy54° / 78°SW 6 to 13 mph
Friday NightMostly Clear51° / 85°S 6 mph
Saturday NightMostly Clear60° / 92°S 10 to 14 mph
Sunday NightSlight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy64° / 90°SW 10 to 14 mph
Monday NightSlight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy59° / 84°SW 10 to 16 mph
Tuesday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms52° / 67°N 15 mph
Wednesday NightShowers And Thunderstorms Likely45° / 64°NW 16 to 20 mph
Today's Weather - Billings, MT

5 PM PST

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

77°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TonightChance Showers And Thunderstorms50° / 80°NW 3 to 8 mph
Friday NightPartly Cloudy54° / 88°SSE 7 mph
Saturday NightPartly Cloudy60° / 87°SSW 12 mph
Sunday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy56° / 82°SW 9 to 14 mph
Monday NightChance Rain Showers51° / 69°NW 10 to 16 mph
Tuesday NightShowers And Thunderstorms Likely46° / 58°NW 16 mph
Wednesday NightRain Showers Likely46° / 62°WNW 14 to 17 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthRapid City, SDBillings, MT
January38° / 14°38° / 16°
February39° / 16°42° / 19°
March47° / 23°52° / 26°
April57° / 32°60° / 34°
May67° / 43°70° / 43°
June76° / 52°79° / 51°
July85° / 59°88° / 57°
August85° / 58°87° / 55°
September74° / 47°75° / 46°
October60° / 35°62° / 36°
November47° / 24°47° / 25°
December37° / 15°37° / 16°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Rapid City / Billings
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 029 / 284 / 55 / 6
February0 / 026 / 255 / 65 / 5
March0 / 025 / 236 / 74 / 5
April0 / 015 / 129 / 93 / 3
May0 / 13 / 211 / 110 / 1
June2 / 40 / 012 / 110 / 0
July9 / 140 / 09 / 70 / 0
August8 / 120 / 08 / 60 / 0
September2 / 31 / 16 / 70 / 0
October0 / 010 / 97 / 71 / 2
November0 / 023 / 234 / 63 / 4
December0 / 029 / 294 / 64 / 6
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 Billings with an average high temperature of 88.3°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in Montana. In Billings, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Billings are June, September and May.
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 Billings with an average of 15.8°. This is warmer than most places in Montana.

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 Billings, there are 33.1 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in Montana.

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 Billings, there are 151.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in Montana.

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 Billings, there are 12.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Montana.

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.


May is the wettest month in Billings with 2.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 35% of yearly precipitation and 11% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 14.2 inches in Billings means that it is about average compared to other places in Montana.

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 Billings with 11.0 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 5.4 rainy days. There are 88.3 rainy days annually in Billings, which is about average compared to other places in Montana. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 19% 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 46.3 inches in Billings means that it is snowier than most places in Montana.
March is the snowiest month in Rapid City with 8.6 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.

March is the snowiest month in Billings with 9.2 inches of snow, and 9 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 Rapid City    2 Reviews

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

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

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Start Your Review of Rapid City

Reviews for Billings    2 Reviews

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

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 Billings

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Zips In Rapid City, South Dakota
57701, 57702
Zips In BILLINGS, MONTANA
59102, 59101, 59105, 59106
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