Rapid City weather in December: Rapid City, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Rapid City in December has a normal high of 37°F and a normal low of 14°F, a daily mean of 26°F, falling from 41°F on the 1st to 36°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 5 days in a normal December, 0.35 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 3°C and low of −10°C, 9 mm of precipitation and 17 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationRapid City Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00024090
- Location44.04°N 103.05°W
- Elevation3,160 ft (963 m)
- Population79,894
- Jan 36° 13°
- Feb 38° 14°
- Mar 48° 23°
- Apr 57° 31°
- May 67° 42°
- Jun 78° 52°
- Jul 86° 59°
- Aug 85° 56°
- Sep 76° 46°
- Oct 60° 34°
- Nov 47° 22°
- Dec 37° 14°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Rapid City in December?
The normal high is 37°F and the normal low 14°F, for a daily mean of 25.6°F. December is 9.0°F cooler than November and 1.3°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Rapid City and the 11th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 5°F, from 41°F on December 1 to 36°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 5.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 20°F and 31°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 17%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 41°F | 17°F | 16% | 4% |
| December 8 | 39°F | 15°F | 16% | 4% |
| December 15 | 37°F | 14°F | 16% | 4% |
| December 22 | 36°F | 13°F | 16% | 4% |
| December 31 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 28)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 41°F | 17°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 41°F | 16°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 40°F | 16°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 40°F | 16°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 40°F | 16°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 39°F | 15°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 39°F | 15°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 39°F | 15°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 9 | 38°F | 15°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 10 | 38°F | 15°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 11 | 38°F | 14°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 12 | 37°F | 14°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 13 | 37°F | 14°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 14 | 37°F | 14°F | 16% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 37°F | 14°F | 16% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 37°F | 14°F | 16% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 36°F | 13°F | 16% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 36°F | 13°F | 16% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 36°F | 13°F | 16% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 36°F | 13°F | 16% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 36°F | 13°F | 16% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 36°F | 13°F | 16% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 36°F | 13°F | 17% | 4% | 9 h |
- Normal high
- 37°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 14°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.35 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 50.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 6.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 9 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024090; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Rapid City in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 16% on average, highest around December 31 (17%). In all, 0.35 in falls on 5 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Rapid City, 30 nights fall to freezing, 10 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 6.7 inches.
Snow falls on 5 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 12 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024090.
How humid and windy is Rapid City in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 31°F with 54% relative humidity and a dew point of 16°F; at 6 a.m. it is 19°F with 71% humidity. The wind averages 9.7 mph, most often from the north in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 19°F | 11°F | 71% | 9.0 mph | 67% |
| 9 a.m. | 23°F | 13°F | 68% | 9.1 mph | 67% |
| noon | 30°F | 16°F | 54% | 12.3 mph | 70% |
| 3 p.m. | 31°F | 16°F | 54% | 12.4 mph | 70% |
| 6 p.m. | 23°F | 14°F | 67% | 8.8 mph | 68% |
| 9 p.m. | 21°F | 13°F | 70% | 8.7 mph | 68% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024090. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for December in Rapid City?
The warmest December temperature on Rapid City's official record (since 1942) is 75°F, on December 4, 1965; the coldest is −30°F, on December 30, 1990. The wettest December brought 1.65 in (1975); the snowiest, 17.9 inches (1975).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 25.6°F: 2021 26.3°F (+0.7), 2022 19.9°F (−5.7), 2023 33.7°F (+8.1), 2024 32.3°F (+6.7), 2025 34.9°F (+9.3). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26.3°F | +0.7°F | 0.61 in |
| 2022 | 19.9°F | −5.7°F | 0.70 in |
| 2023 | 33.7°F | +8.1°F | 0.32 in |
| 2024 | 32.3°F | +6.7°F | 0.46 in |
| 2025 | 34.9°F | +9.3°F | 0.17 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RAPthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024090. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Rapid City compare across South Dakota?
Across the 100 places PlainClimate covers in South Dakota, December normal highs run from 25°F in Eureka to 41°F in Hill City; Rapid City's is 37°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Rapid City in November47°F by day, 22°F at night
- Rapid City in January36°F by day, 13°F at night
- Rapid City through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Dakota in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Hill City: South Dakota's warmest Decembernormal high 41°F