Rapid City weather by month & the best time to visit
United States · small town · semi-arid climate
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The best time to visit Rapid City is September — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 88/100), with August and June close behind. Rapid City averages about 2,793 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 26°C / 79°F and roughly 38 mm of rain in September.
When is the best time to visit Rapid City?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Rapid City is September, then August and June. The dullest month is January (0/100, 9 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Rapid City?
Rapid City gets a lot of sun: around 2,793 hours a year. 88 Sunshine Score points separate September (88) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #118 of 580 destinations in United States for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,279 hours. Rain has a clear season: the wettest stretch, around June, carries about 47% of the annual 451 mm.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 4° / 39°F | -7° / 19°F | 9 mm | 1 |
| February | 0 | 4° / 39°F | -8° / 18°F | 14 mm | 2 |
| March | 23 | 11° / 52°F | -3° / 27°F | 24 mm | 3 |
| April | 57 | 16° / 61°F | 1° / 34°F | 52 mm | 5 |
| May | 80 | 21° / 70°F | 7° / 45°F | 87 mm | 6 |
| June | 83 | 29° / 84°F | 13° / 55°F | 68 mm | 8 |
| July | 77 | 33° / 91°F | 18° / 64°F | 55 mm | 8 |
| August | 87 | 31° / 88°F | 16° / 61°F | 48 mm | 7 |
| September | 88 | 26° / 79°F | 10° / 50°F | 38 mm | 5 |
| October | 60 | 16° / 61°F | 3° / 37°F | 33 mm | 3 |
| November | 8 | 9° / 48°F | -2° / 28°F | 12 mm | 2 |
| December | 0 | 3° / 37°F | -6° / 21°F | 11 mm | 1 |
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
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Rapid City: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Rapid City?
Rapid City is a small town in United States at 963 m elevation with a semi-arid climate.
How many hours of sunshine does Rapid City get a year?
Rapid City gets about 2,793 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around September.
When is the best time to visit Rapid City?
The sunniest time to visit Rapid City is September, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 88/100 (with August and June close behind). Expect daytime highs around 26°C / 79°F.
What is the least sunny month in Rapid City?
January is the least sunny month in Rapid City, scoring 0/100 with about 9 mm of rain.
How strong is the sun in Rapid City?
The typical midday UV index in Rapid City peaks around 8 (very high) in June, easing to about 1 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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