PlainClimate

Rapid City weather in March: Rapid City, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for March

Rapid City in March has a normal high of 48°F and a normal low of 23°F, a daily mean of 35°F, rising from 42°F on the 1st to 53°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal March, 0.91 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)

In metric: a normal high of 9°C and low of −5°C, 23 mm of precipitation and 21 cm of snow in March.

  • NOAA stationRapid City Regional Airport
  • Station IDUSW00024090
  • Location44.04°N 103.05°W
  • Elevation3,160 ft (963 m)
  • Population79,894
  1. Jan 36° 13°
  2. Feb 38° 14°
  3. Mar 48° 23°
  4. Apr 57° 31°
  5. May 67° 42°
  6. Jun 78° 52°
  7. Jul 86° 59°
  8. Aug 85° 56°
  9. Sep 76° 46°
  10. Oct 60° 34°
  11. Nov 47° 22°
  12. 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 March?

The normal high is 48°F and the normal low 23°F, for a daily mean of 35.4°F. March is 9.3°F warmer than February and 8.5°F cooler than April. March is the 8th warmest month of the year in Rapid City and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 42°F on March 1 to 53°F on March 31. From one year to the next March's mean temperature typically moves about 5.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Marchs in three average between 30°F and 41°F.

Rapid City in March, day by day: normal high and low

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 29%).

Normal high and low on five days of March, with the chance of precipitation
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 in
March 142°F17°F21%7%
March 845°F20°F21%7%
March 1548°F22°F23%8%
March 2251°F25°F25%10%
March 3153°F27°F29%12%
Every day of March: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon March 31, coldest night March 1)
Rapid City: NOAA 1991-2020 daily normals for each day of March
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 inDaylight
March 142°F17°F21%7%11 h 10 min
March 243°F18°F21%7%11 h 10 min
March 343°F18°F21%7%11 h 10 min
March 444°F18°F21%7%11 h 20 min
March 544°F19°F21%7%11 h 20 min
March 644°F19°F21%7%11 h 20 min
March 745°F19°F21%7%11 h 30 min
March 845°F20°F21%7%11 h 30 min
March 946°F20°F22%8%11 h 30 min
March 1046°F21°F22%8%11 h 40 min
March 1147°F21°F22%8%11 h 40 min
March 1247°F21°F22%8%11 h 40 min
March 1347°F22°F22%8%11 h 40 min
March 1448°F22°F23%8%11 h 50 min
March 1548°F22°F23%8%11 h 50 min
March 1649°F23°F23%9%11 h 50 min
March 1749°F23°F24%9%12 h
March 1849°F24°F24%9%12 h
March 1950°F24°F24%9%12 h
March 2050°F24°F24%9%12 h 10 min
March 2150°F25°F25%10%12 h 10 min
March 2251°F25°F25%10%12 h 10 min
March 2351°F25°F26%10%12 h 10 min
March 2451°F25°F26%10%12 h 20 min
March 2552°F26°F27%11%12 h 20 min
March 2652°F26°F27%11%12 h 20 min
March 2752°F26°F27%11%12 h 30 min
March 2852°F27°F28%11%12 h 30 min
March 2953°F27°F28%12%12 h 30 min
March 3053°F27°F29%12%12 h 40 min
March 3153°F27°F29%12%12 h 40 min
Normal high
48°FMarch average
Normal low
23°FMarch average
Precipitation
0.91 inmonth total
Days with precipitation
70.01 inch or more
Snowfall
8.4 inmonth total
Nights at 32°F or colder
26
Daylight
11 h 10 min to 12 h 40 minMarch 1 to March 31
Days at 70°F or more
3
Sunshine
74%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 March?

On a given March day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 24% on average, highest around March 31 (29%). In all, 0.91 in falls on 7 days of a normal March.

In a normal March in Rapid City, 26 nights fall to freezing, 5 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 8.4 inches.

Snow falls on 4 days in a normal March, and an inch or more covers the ground on 6 days.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024090.

How humid and windy is Rapid City in March?

At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 50°F with 39% relative humidity and a dew point of 26°F; at 6 a.m. it is 32°F with 74% humidity. The wind averages 12.2 mph, most often from the north in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.

A normal March day at the station, hour by hour (local standard time)
TimeTemperatureDew pointHumidityWindClear or few clouds
6 a.m.32°F24°F74%10.0 mph62%
9 a.m.42°F27°F55%13.8 mph62%
noon49°F27°F42%15.5 mph58%
3 p.m.50°F26°F39%15.8 mph56%
6 p.m.45°F27°F49%12.7 mph56%
9 p.m.37°F27°F65%9.5 mph58%

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 March in Rapid City?

The warmest March temperature on Rapid City's official record (since 1942) is 87°F, on March 21, 2026; the coldest is −21°F, on March 8, 1996. The wettest March brought 3.02 in (1945); the snowiest, 30.7 inches (1950).

The March mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 35.4°F: 2021 39.1°F (+3.7), 2022 34.6°F (−0.8), 2023 26.8°F (−8.6), 2024 35.5°F (+0.1), 2025 41.8°F (+6.4), 2026 44.5°F (+9.1). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.

Rapid City: March in recent years against the 1991-2020 normal
MarchMeanAgainst normalPrecip.
202139.1°F+3.7°F0.89 in
202234.6°F−0.8°F0.25 in
202326.8°F−8.6°F1.52 in
202435.5°F+0.1°F0.78 in
202541.8°F+6.4°F0.61 in
202644.5°F+9.1°F0.36 in

Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RAPthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024090. Records and recent months use complete months only.

How does March in Rapid City compare across South Dakota?

Across the 100 places PlainClimate covers in South Dakota, March normal highs run from 37°F in Astoria to 54°F in Hot Springs; Rapid City's is 48°F.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.

Other months and places