Rapid City receives its highest rainfall in May, while humidity peaks during winter months.
🌧️ Wettest:May — 87 mm☀️ Driest:Jan — 10 mm
💧 Humidity peaks at 68% in Dec · annual avg 59%
🌍 Climate Summary
Avg Annual Temp:52.2°F
Avg Annual Rainfall:466 mm
Avg Humidity:59%
Data Period:1981 – 2025
Rapid City Climate Overview
Rapid City has a temperate climate with warm summers and freezing winters.
Temperatures peak in Jul and drop to their lowest in Jan,
while rainfall is highest during spring and early summer months.
Humidity remains moderate throughout the year, especially during winter months, creating cold and dry conditions.
📈 Yearly Trends
The warmest year in Rapid City's recorded history was 2012
(avg: 57.4°F),
while the coldest year was 1985
(avg: 47.8°F),
based on annual average temperatures.
📊 Key Climate Trends
🌡️ Rapid City's temperature has remained relatively stable over the past decade
📊 Minimum temperatures have remained largely stable across the dataset
🌧️ Rainfall varies year-to-year without a clear long-term trend
🌡️ Annual Temperature Trend
View Range:
Average annual high/low · Last 10 years · °F
Rapid City's temperatures has remained relatively stable over the past decade.
The highest recorded temperature reached
111.5°F in Jul 2006,
while the lowest dropped to
-23.3°F in Dec 1983.
🌧️ Annual Precipitation
View Range:
Total annual precipitation · Last 10 years · mm/year
Annual rainfall in Rapid City shows noticeable variation. Rainfall varies year-to-year without a clear long-term trend.
Based on 45 years of data (1981–2025), Jul is typically the hottest month in Rapid City, South Dakota, with average high temperatures around 103.2°F.
What is the coldest month in Rapid City?▼
Jan is the coldest month in Rapid City, with average low temperatures around -0.4°F.
What is the rainiest month in Rapid City?▼
May receives the most rainfall with approximately 87 mm, while Jan is the driest with 10 mm.
What was the highest temperature ever recorded in Rapid City?▼
The highest recorded temperature was 111.5°F in Jul 2006. This is part of the historical record spanning 1981–2025.
What was the lowest temperature ever recorded in Rapid City?▼
The lowest recorded temperature was -23.3°F in Dec 1983.
How many years of data does this page cover?▼
This page covers 45 years of climate data from 1981 to 2025. As new data is added to the database the page automatically reflects the updated coverage.
How much sunlight does Rapid City get?▼
Rapid City receives the most sunlight in Jul with an average solar radiation of 6.85 kWh/m²/day. This solar radiation data, sourced from NASA POWER, is useful for solar energy planning, agriculture, and understanding seasonal sunshine availability in South Dakota.
Where does this weather data come from?▼
All climate data is sourced from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite and model data. It provides monthly averages for temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation.
📚 Data Source
All weather data is sourced from NASA POWER (Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources), a NASA project providing solar and meteorological data for renewable energy, building efficiency, and agricultural research.