2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Rapid City, SD vs Lincoln, NE

Highlights

On average, there are 214 sunny days per year in Lincoln. Rapid City averages 226 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Lincoln, Nebraska gets 30.9 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.

Lincoln averages 25.6 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

Lincoln, Nebraska
Summer High: the July high is around 88.5 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 13.5
Rain: averages 30.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 25.6 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 Lincoln is 7.2 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Nebraska.

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

45°F

Today's Weather - Lincoln, NE

51°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

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

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 Lincoln with an average high temperature of 88.5°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Nebraska. In Lincoln, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Lincoln are September, May and June.

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 Lincoln with an average of 13.5°. This is warmer than most places in Nebraska.

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 Lincoln, there are 32.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Nebraska.

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 Lincoln, there are 141.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Nebraska.

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 Lincoln, there are 9.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Nebraska.

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 Lincoln with 4.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.7 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 39% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 30.9 inches in Lincoln means that it is wetter than most places in Nebraska.

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 Lincoln with 11.1 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 4.5 rainy days. There are 85.7 rainy days annually in Lincoln, which is rainier than most places in Nebraska. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 17% 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 25.6 inches in Lincoln means that it is less snowy than most places in Nebraska.

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

December is the snowiest month in Lincoln with 5.5 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.