2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Rapid City, SD vs Grand Forks, ND
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Highlights
On average, there are 197 sunny days per year in Grand Forks. Rapid City averages 226 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.
Grand Forks, North Dakota gets 21.5 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.
Grand Forks averages 42.4 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
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Summer High: the July high is around 81.1 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is -2.5
Rain: averages 21.5 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 42.4 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
Grand ForksThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Grand Forks is 6.2 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in North Dakota.
6.2 / 10
July, August and June are the most pleasant months in Grand Forks, while January and December are the least comfortable months.
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.
Today's Weather - Rapid City, SD
8 AM PST
Mostly Sunny
30°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Today | Mostly Sunny | 46° / 24° | N 3 to 8 mph |
| Sunday | Sunny | 66° / 41° | S 5 to 16 mph |
| Monday | Mostly Sunny | 62° / 38° | NW 20 to 23 mph |
| Tuesday | Sunny | 60° / 38° | N 15 to 18 mph |
| Wednesday | Mostly Sunny | 71° / 47° | SE 10 to 17 mph |
| Thursday | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 71° / 46° | S 12 to 17 mph |
| Friday | Chance Rain Showers | 64° / 42° | N 14 to 18 mph |
Today's Weather - Grand Forks, ND
8 AM PST
Sunny
34°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| Today | Sunny | 51° / 31° | WNW 10 to 17 mph |
| Sunday | Sunny | 61° / 39° | W 12 mph |
| Monday | Mostly Cloudy then Chance Light Rain | 64° / 35° | SW 15 mph |
| Tuesday | Slight Chance Light Rain | 53° / 29° | NNW 16 to 20 mph |
| Wednesday | Mostly Sunny | 60° / 41° | SSE 8 to 13 mph |
| Thursday | Partly Sunny then Chance Light Rain | 62° / 45° | SSE 15 to 20 mph |
| Friday | Chance Light Rain | 58° / 41° | ESE 17 mph |
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
| Month | Rapid City, SD | Grand Forks, ND |
|---|
| January | 38° / 14° | 16° / -3° |
| February | 39° / 16° | 22° / 3° |
| March | 47° / 23° | 34° / 17° |
| April | 57° / 32° | 54° / 31° |
| May | 67° / 43° | 68° / 43° |
| June | 76° / 52° | 76° / 53° |
| July | 85° / 59° | 81° / 58° |
| August | 85° / 58° | 80° / 55° |
| September | 74° / 47° | 70° / 45° |
| October | 60° / 35° | 54° / 33° |
| November | 47° / 24° | 35° / 18° |
| December | 37° / 15° | 20° / 3° |
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Rapid City / Grand Forks
| Month | Hot Days | Freezing Days | Rainy Days | Snowy Days |
|---|
| January | 0 / 0 | 29 / 31 | 4 / 7 | 5 / 8 |
| February | 0 / 0 | 26 / 28 | 5 / 6 | 5 / 6 |
| March | 0 / 0 | 25 / 29 | 6 / 7 | 4 / 4 |
| April | 0 / 0 | 15 / 17 | 9 / 7 | 3 / 1 |
| May | 0 / 0 | 3 / 4 | 11 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| June | 2 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 12 / 11 | 0 / 0 |
| July | 9 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 10 | 0 / 0 |
| August | 8 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 8 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
| September | 2 / 1 | 1 / 2 | 6 / 8 | 0 / 0 |
| October | 0 / 0 | 10 / 14 | 7 / 8 | 1 / 1 |
| November | 0 / 0 | 23 / 27 | 4 / 6 | 3 / 4 |
| December | 0 / 0 | 29 / 31 | 4 / 7 | 4 / 8 |
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 Grand Forks with an average high temperature of 81.1°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in North Dakota. In Grand Forks, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Grand Forks are June, August and July.
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 Grand Forks with an average of -2.5°. This is colder than most 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 Grand Forks, there are 8.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler 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 Grand Forks, there are 182.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer 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.
In Grand Forks, there are 48.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder 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 wettest month in Grand Forks with 3.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 46% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 21.5 inches in Grand Forks means that it is wetter than most places in North Dakota.
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.
June is the rainiest month in Grand Forks with 11.3 days of rain, and November is the driest month with only 6.1 rainy days. There are 96.7 rainy days annually in Grand Forks, which is one of the rainiest places in North Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 21% 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 42.4 inches in Grand Forks means that it is snowier than most places in North Dakota.
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 Grand Forks with 10.2 inches of snow, and 7 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
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
Reviews for Grand Forks 2 Reviews
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 Grand Forks
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