July and August are the warmest months of the year, when daytime temperatures climb into the 70s and 80s--and sometimes 90s. Black Elk Peak (formerly known as Harney Peak), which rises to 7,244 feet (2,208 m), is the range's highest summit. Black Hills Communities. Badlands and Native American Tour. Sounds like it will be at least better than (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? By December, daytime temperatures are in the 30s with nighttime readings in the teens and sometimes below zero in the Black Hills. And sometimes the reverse, left town to sun/blue sky to snow or rain in the valley at home. Please select one of the following: Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Select a destination to see more weather parameters. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for parts of the Black Hills until noon Tuesday. Thunderstorms produce less rainfall, and drier conditions increase the wildfire potential in the Black Hills. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. Activities, lodging, and area information. The snow on the plains usually melts within a few days, with deeper snow in the Black Hills providing good winter recreation conditions. The Black Hills & Badlands of South Dakota From the four faces carved high on Mount Rushmore and the Cathedral Spires of Custer State Park to the wondrous caverns of Wind Cave , from the otherworldly Badlands in the east to Devils Tower in the west – the Black Hills … Lows are typically in the 40s and 50s during June. However, Rapid City still sees an average of 20 clear to partly cloudy days and 65 percent of its possible sunshine in June. Please try another search. Storms early in the season produce heavy, wet snow. Daytime highs during the month of May average in the 50s and 60s. Occasionally cold air from Canada will bring subzero temperatures to the entire area; however, warmer weather returns quickly. Rodeos have a remarkable history in western South Dakota. Last winter Rapid got hit hard by all the first snow storms while Custer got hit lightly, then towards the end of the winter, Custer got hit hard. I've left home w/ sun and blue skies, and gone just a mile down the road to find it snowing hard, road icy and snow packed. When it's right for you to travel, our Black Hills communities are here to welcome you. (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? I get asked this question a lot so wanted to address it for you guys! Rapid City receives 75 percent of its possible sunshine. March is typically the snowiest month of the year, with average snowfall 15 to 25 inches in the northern Black Hills and eight to 12 inches over the southern Hills. To the Badlands and Beyond. Although the weather in the area is hard to predict Late spring is western South Dakota’s rain season, when the area receives over a third of its annual rain. The average high during this season is between 35.6°F (2°C) and 29.4°F (-1.4°C). ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-18839506', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Cincinnati, which gets very humid (being on a big river) any time the temp gets over 85 (which is often). Average monthly snowfall ranges from five inches in Rapid City to 15 inches in the Black Hills. Because our weather varies from one community to the next, the averages below are from Rapid City unless otherwise noted. At the other extreme is the northeast part of the state. Started in 1973 and still under the same owner, we are widely regarded as the local experts in the bus tours for Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. 18 Reasons to Never Take Your Kids to South Dakota's Black Hills & Badlands. Find out what weather to expect when visiting Black Hills South Dakota at various times of the year, so you can plan a great trip. Same goes for going from town to town. NewsCenter1 covers the Black Hills of South Dakota. Weather in the Black Hills of South Dakota By Laural A. Bidwell, author of Moon Mount Rushmore & The Black Hills The Dakotas have the reputation for harsh winters with frequent blizzards and scorching summers, but weather in the Black Hills is much less dramatic. Dakotans call that area “The Banana Belt”. South Winds 5 to 10 Mph. It also varies, sometimes quite a bit, b/t cities or areas. You can jump to a separate table for each region of the state: Eastern, Central and Western South Dakota. Storms earlier in the season tend to bring more moisture from the south, which produces wet, heavy snow. Average temperatures for August at cities, towns, parks and lakes throughout South Dakota are listed below in degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius. Get stop-by-stop directions for a driving tour of the Black Hills of South Dakota from National Geographic's Ultimate Road Trips. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Questions? It can be very warm by day, but it does cool down at night, especially in the heart of the hills. Rapid City (Lakota: Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. The sun is very intense in the higher elevation of the Black Hills so bring lots of sunscreen. Top rodeos in the Black Hills include the Day's of '76 Rodeo in Deadwood, the Black Hills Roundup in Belle held over the Fourth of July weekend, the Mt Rushmore Rodeo at Palmer Gulch and the Black Hills … Fall weather tends to be mild with an average daytime high of 57°F (14°C) and low of 44°F (7°C), although temperatures and precipitation can vary. May and June weather is mild and precipitation changes from rain showers to thunderstorms. Two Days in Deadwood. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western South Dakota, on the Black Hills' eastern slope. The snowiest periods will be in early to mid-November, mid-December, mid- to late January, and early to mid-March. This article describes typical weather conditions in the Black Hills region based on long-term climatic records. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November and December mark the beginning of winter in the Black Hills. Afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon with some rainfall, but usually result in only refreshing sprinkles to clean the air and keep the hillsides green. Averages for other cities in the region are included to provide a comparison to Rapid City. 14 facts about South Dakota's Black Hills & Badlands that will Surprise You. And just like that, it’s snowing in western South Dakota. Low temperatures average from 10 to 20 degrees above zero. Rapid City records an average of 9 thunderstorms days in August, but only 1.67 inches of rain. Temperatures begin to cool around Labor Day, with September highs averaging in the 60s and 70s, falling into the 50s and 60s in October. Offering breaking news, local headlines, weather and sports, along with national and world news. July 21: Severe Thunderstorms and Flash Flooding over northeast Wyoming and western South Dakota; July 17: Severe Storms and Flooding over northeast Wyoming and the Black Hills Please Contact Us. Below zero readings are not uncommon in the higher valleys of the Black Hills. Multiple locations were found. South Dakota (/-d ə ˈ k oʊ t ə / ()) is a U.S. state in the Midwestern region of the United States.It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large portion of the population and historically dominated the territory. Snowfall averages about five inches each month with only two days typically receiving more than one inch of snow. Snow often occurs in April, although temperatures are warmer. May has mostly short showers. NWS Daytime temperatures average in the 30s, but Chinook winds can warm temperatures into the 50s and 60s. March and April is western South Dakota’s snow season and temperatures are still cool enough in the higher elevations to retain the snow cover. Early mornings are cool, so a jacket or sweater may be needed for outdoor activities. South Dakota, the 17th largest state in the nation, covers so much area that it has several different geographic areas, each with its own weather pattern. Lowest wind Chills zero to 10 above zero in the morning. On average, it rains or snows a smalll amount: 1 to 2 times per month. While towns in South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming and Minnesota make the lists for some of the nation's coldest; not one from the Black Hills is included or close to. The Black Hills (Lakota: Ȟe Sápa; Cheyenne: Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; Hidatsa: awaxaawi shiibisha) are a small and isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Visitors make foliage pilgrimages to places like Spearfish Canyon and Sica Hollow State Park to take in the gorgeous transition. In the Black Hills of South Dakota, you’ll find communities both large and small. The historic Deadwood in the Black Hills averages between 14°F (-10°C) to 38°F (3.3°C), while Pierre, the capital of South Dakota, is in the cold range of 10°F (-12.2°C) to 30°F (-1.1°C) - comparatively Aberdeen on the eastern side is the coldest and lies in the range of 2°F (-16.7°C) to 23°F (-5°C). All NOAA. This will help you prepare for your visit in the Black Hills. Despite cooler temperatures and more snow; the area still has many mild, sunny days. 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