Rapid City, SD Climate

Rapid City, SD has a semi-arid climate with cold winters and warm summers. Rainfall tends to be low throughout the year, while snowfall is more common during the winter months. Rapid City has a generally dry climate with an average of only 15 inches of precipitation annually. During the summer months, temperatures often reach into the high 80s and low 90s Fahrenheit, while in the winter they can dip into the single digits and even below zero at times. Winters are generally windy and cold in Rapid City, though occasional chinook winds can bring warmer temperatures for brief periods of time.

Rapid City, South Dakota gets 18 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Rapid City averages 38 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

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

Rapid City gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 85 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 85 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 14
Rain: averages 18 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 38 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

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.

9.1 Summer - 5.2 Winter

August, July and June are the most pleasant months in Rapid City, while February and January are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Rapid City, South Dakota	United States
	18.2 in.	38.1 in.
	38.0 in.	27.8 in.
	85.4 days	106.2 days
	226 days	205 days
	85.3°	85.8°
	14.2°	21.7°
	7	7
	4.6	4.3
	3241 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

Humidity in Rapid City is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are July, August and June.

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 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 38.0 inches in Rapid City means that it is about average compared to other places in South Dakota. March is the snowiest month in Rapid City with 8.6 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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PJ · Amarillo, TX

Don't let the name City deceive you. It's a Town!!

This Year

I have lived in this city for the last three and half years and I can't stand it!! Let me spell it out for you, but to be fair, let me give you the Pros first: More

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Jacob · Eugene, OR

Black Hills are beautiful in summer.

Over 3 years ago

Unless you made your pension out of state or already bought a home you can't afford to liver there. Rapid City is gray in winter. More

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Dee · Beverly Hills, CA

Title

Over 3 years ago

I've lived in the city 5 years a loved More

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