Rapid City weather in October: Rapid City, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for October
Rapid City in October has a normal high of 60°F and a normal low of 34°F, a daily mean of 47°F, falling from 68°F on the 1st to 54°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal October, 1.41 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 16°C and low of 1°C, 36 mm of precipitation and 8 cm of snow in October.
- 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 October?
The normal high is 60°F and the normal low 34°F, for a daily mean of 47.1°F. October is 14.2°F cooler than September and 12.5°F warmer than November. October is the 6th warmest month of the year in Rapid City and the 6th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 14°F, from 68°F on October 1 to 54°F on October 31. From one year to the next October's mean temperature typically moves about 4.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Octobers in three average between 43°F and 51°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 23%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 68°F | 40°F | 23% | 11% |
| October 8 | 64°F | 37°F | 23% | 10% |
| October 15 | 61°F | 34°F | 22% | 10% |
| October 22 | 57°F | 31°F | 21% | 8% |
| October 31 | 54°F | 28°F | 20% | 7% |
Every day of October: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon October 1, coldest night October 31)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 68°F | 40°F | 23% | 11% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 2 | 68°F | 40°F | 23% | 11% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 3 | 67°F | 39°F | 23% | 11% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 4 | 67°F | 39°F | 23% | 11% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 5 | 66°F | 39°F | 23% | 11% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 6 | 65°F | 38°F | 23% | 11% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 7 | 65°F | 38°F | 23% | 10% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 8 | 64°F | 37°F | 23% | 10% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 9 | 64°F | 37°F | 23% | 10% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 10 | 63°F | 36°F | 23% | 10% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 11 | 63°F | 36°F | 22% | 10% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 12 | 62°F | 35°F | 22% | 10% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 13 | 62°F | 35°F | 22% | 10% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 14 | 61°F | 35°F | 22% | 10% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 15 | 61°F | 34°F | 22% | 10% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 16 | 60°F | 34°F | 22% | 9% | 11 h |
| October 17 | 60°F | 33°F | 22% | 9% | 11 h |
| October 18 | 59°F | 33°F | 22% | 9% | 11 h |
| October 19 | 59°F | 32°F | 22% | 9% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 20 | 58°F | 32°F | 22% | 9% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 21 | 58°F | 32°F | 22% | 8% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 22 | 57°F | 31°F | 21% | 8% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 23 | 57°F | 31°F | 21% | 8% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 24 | 56°F | 30°F | 21% | 8% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 25 | 56°F | 30°F | 21% | 8% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 26 | 56°F | 30°F | 21% | 8% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 27 | 55°F | 29°F | 21% | 7% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 28 | 55°F | 29°F | 21% | 7% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 29 | 54°F | 28°F | 20% | 7% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 30 | 54°F | 28°F | 20% | 7% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 31 | 54°F | 28°F | 20% | 7% | 10 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 60°FOctober average
- Normal low
- 34°FOctober average
- Precipitation
- 1.41 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 3.0 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 13
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min to 10 h 20 minOctober 1 to October 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 9
- Days at 80°F or more
- 3
- Sunshine
- 75%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 October?
On a given October day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 22% on average, highest around October 2 (23%). In all, 1.41 in falls on 7 days of a normal October.
In a normal October in Rapid City, 13 nights fall to freezing, 1 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 3.0 inches.
Snow falls on 2 days in a normal October, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024090.
How humid and windy is Rapid City in October?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 51°F with 39% relative humidity and a dew point of 26°F; at 6 a.m. it is 33°F with 70% humidity. The wind averages 10.8 mph, most often from the north-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 33°F | 25°F | 70% | 9.1 mph | 67% |
| 9 a.m. | 42°F | 27°F | 55% | 11.0 mph | 68% |
| noon | 50°F | 26°F | 40% | 14.9 mph | 66% |
| 3 p.m. | 51°F | 26°F | 39% | 14.6 mph | 67% |
| 6 p.m. | 41°F | 26°F | 56% | 9.9 mph | 70% |
| 9 p.m. | 37°F | 26°F | 64% | 9.0 mph | 69% |
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 October in Rapid City?
The warmest October temperature on Rapid City's official record (since 1942) is 96°F, on October 2, 2011; the coldest is −7°F, on October 26, 2020. The wettest October brought 5.60 in (1998); the snowiest, 20.8 inches (2013).
The October mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 47.1°F: 2021 51.0°F (+3.9), 2022 49.8°F (+2.7), 2023 46.1°F (−1.0), 2024 55.0°F (+7.9), 2025 52.5°F (+5.4). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| October | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51.0°F | +3.9°F | 2.76 in |
| 2022 | 49.8°F | +2.7°F | 0.50 in |
| 2023 | 46.1°F | −1.0°F | 2.70 in |
| 2024 | 55.0°F | +7.9°F | 0.36 in |
| 2025 | 52.5°F | +5.4°F | 1.02 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RAPthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024090. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does October in Rapid City compare across South Dakota?
Across the 100 places PlainClimate covers in South Dakota, October normal highs run from 54°F in Custer to 65°F in Interior; Rapid City's is 60°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Rapid City in September76°F by day, 46°F at night
- Rapid City in November47°F by day, 22°F at night
- Rapid City through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Dakota in OctoberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Interior: South Dakota's warmest Octobernormal high 65°F