Climate Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 46°F annual avg 2 stations
Rapid City, SD Climate
Annual temperature, rainfall, and a comfort score, sourced from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →
- 46°F
- Avg annual temp
- 49/100
- Comfort score
- 18.8"
- Annual precip
- 148d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 2 weather stations (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota averages 46°F a year and scores 49/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 18% of U.S. cities.
- 46°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 49/100
- comfort score, milder than 18% of U.S. cities
- 18.8"
- annual precipitation · 36" snow
- 148 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
46°F (8°C)
Avg High
58°F
Avg Low
34°F
Annual Precip
18.8"
Annual Snow
36.1"
Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
46°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
18.8"
Plus 36.1" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Rapid City) 49.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Rapid City area.
How Rapid City compares to every U.S. city
Rapid City's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 Top 82% higher than 18% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Rapid City
MethodologyHow the U.S. land temperature anomaly tracks against the global mean since 1900. The current NOAA 1991-2020 normal for Rapid City captures average conditions across the spread shown, the most recent decade is warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F (3°C) | 13°F (-10°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 0.2" | 3.9" | 29.7 | 0.0 |
| February | 38°F (3°C) | 15°F (-10°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 0.4" | 6.1" | 26.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 47°F (8°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 0.9" | 6.2" | 26.7 | 0.0 |
| April | 54°F (12°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 2.0" | 7.9" | 16.4 | 0.0 |
| May | 64°F (18°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 3.7" | 0.9" | 4.2 | 0.3 |
| June | 75°F (24°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 3.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| July | 84°F (29°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 2.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.9 |
| August | 83°F (28°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 2.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.1 |
| September | 74°F (23°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 1.5" | 0.0" | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| October | 59°F (15°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 1.6" | 2.1" | 10.9 | 0.0 |
| November | 47°F (8°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 0.5" | 4.0" | 24.8 | 0.0 |
| December | 39°F (4°C) | 15°F (-9°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 0.3" | 5.0" | 30.0 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.2"
Snow: 3.9"
2.9 days with precipitation
February 0.4"
Snow: 6.1"
3.5 days with precipitation
March 0.9"
Snow: 6.2"
4.1 days with precipitation
April 2.0"
Snow: 7.9"
7.4 days with precipitation
May 3.7"
Snow: 0.9"
9.0 days with precipitation
June 3.0"
10.4 days with precipitation
July 2.7"
8.7 days with precipitation
August 2.0"
5.9 days with precipitation
September 1.5"
4.6 days with precipitation
October 1.6"
Snow: 2.1"
5.2 days with precipitation
November 0.5"
Snow: 4.0"
3.1 days with precipitation
December 0.3"
Snow: 5.0"
2.4 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 5
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 10
50% probability date
Growing Season
148 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,285
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
495
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Rapid City's climate means for you
Rapid City runs 46°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 148 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 10 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 7,285 heating and 495 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Rapid City, SD
Rapid City, South Dakota runs an annual average of 46°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 58°F to a mean daily low of 34°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Drawn from 2 weather stations, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.
Rainfall (and snow, where it falls) shapes day-to-day life here as much as temperature does. Rapid City sees about 18.8 inches of precipitation a year, with 36.1 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 148 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 10 and the first fall freeze near October 5. On the energy side, 7,285 heating degree days and 495 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Rapid City scores 49/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for July-driven heat, or deep winter for January-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Rapid City, SD? ▼
The average annual temperature in Rapid City, South Dakota is 46°F. The warmest month averages 84°F (29°C) and the coldest averages 13°F (-10°C).
How much rain does Rapid City get? ▼
Rapid City receives 18.8 inches of precipitation annually, including 36.1 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Rapid City? ▼
Rapid City has a climate comfort score of 49/100 (Moderate), milder than 18% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Rapid City? ▼
Rapid City has approximately 148 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 10 and the first fall freeze around October 5.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Rapid City? ▼
Rapid City has 7,285 heating degree days and 495 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Rapid City climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from 2 weather stations near Rapid City.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00396947. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.