Rapid Valley, SD climate
Rapid Valley has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Rapid Valley feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Rapid Valley weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 14° | 0.4" | 5.3" | 6 | 11 | 17° – 37° |
| February | 39° | 15° | 0.6" | 7.7" | 7 | 10 | 10° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.0" | 8.4" | 7 | 6 | 23° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 2.1" | 10.1" | 11 | 4 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.6" | 1.5" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 78° | 53° | 3.2" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 59° | 2.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 64° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 57° | 1.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 35° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 7 | 1 | 39° – 54° |
| November | 48° | 24° | 0.5" | 5.7" | 5 | 4 | 26° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 16° | 0.4" | 6.7" | 5 | 12 | 17° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 35° | 18.5" | 48.5" | 96 | 48 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Rapid Valley
Rapid Valley gets 19 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 48 days of the year.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 139 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 90% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Rapid Valley
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Rapid Valley, 92% of that work is heating and 8% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Rapid Valley and its neighbors
Rapid Valley borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Green Valley has both the coldest January nights (13°) and the hottest July afternoons (87°). Rapid Valley’s January low is 14° and its July high 86°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Rapid Valley compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Rapid Valley averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 68% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Rapid Valley’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 10° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Rapid Valley’s climate
What is the coldest month in Rapid Valley?
January, with a typical high of 37° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Rapid Valley?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 59°. About 32 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Rapid Valley get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter, most of it in April.
When is the first frost in Rapid Valley?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 12.
What is the rainiest month in Rapid Valley?
May, with 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 19 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Rapid Valley itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Rapid City Rgnl Airport, SD (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.