Rapid City in Fall
In fall (September, October and November), Rapid City sees average daytime highs around 58°F and overnight lows near 36°F, with 4.4 in of precipitation over about 18 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the 3rd-wettest season.
Over the season highs ease from about 78°F in early September to 41°F by late November. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time across fall, and the air most often feels dry.
Fall is Rapid City's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Rapid City's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 58°F
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 36°F
- Precipitation
- 4.4 in
- 18 wet days
- Avg wind
- 8 mph
- Travel score
- 4.5
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Sep · Oct · Nov
Temperature in Rapid City in Fall
Over the season highs ease from about 78°F in early September to 41°F by late November.
A typical fall day in Rapid City reaches about 58°F and drops to 36°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is September, the coolest November.
How fall really feels in Rapid City
Once humidity and wind are folded in, fall brings about 0 days that feel above 90°F and 52 that feel at or below 32°F.
The story in fall is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Rapid City weather by month
How the three fall months (September, October and November) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36° / 17° | 0.5 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 9.1 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 38° / 18° | 0.7 | 5 | 5.1 | 10.2 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 46° / 25° | 1.6 | 7.6 | 5.4 | 11.6 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 54° / 32° | 3.2 | 11.8 | 5.5 | 13.2 | 3.1 |
| May | 64° / 42° | 4.4 | 14.1 | 1.2 | 14.5 | 5.0 |
| Jun | 74° / 52° | 3.8 | 14.5 | 0.1 | 15.2 | 6.1 |
| Jul | 82° / 58° | 3.1 | 13.4 | 0 | 15 | 5.9 |
| Aug | 81° / 56° | 2.4 | 10.9 | 0 | 13.8 | 6.7 |
| Sep | 72° / 47° | 1.6 | 6.7 | 0.4 | 12.3 | 7.4 |
| Oct | 58° / 36° | 2.0 | 7.3 | 2.7 | 10.8 | 4.7 |
| Nov | 46° / 25° | 0.8 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 9.4 | 1.3 |
| Dec | 37° / 18° | 0.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 8.8 | 0.0 |
Cloud cover in Fall
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time across fall.
Chance of precipitation in Fall
Rapid City gets around 4.4 in of rain and snow over 18 wet days across fall. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Fall
Most of fall feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Fall
Winds average 8 mph across fall.
Sunrise & sunset in Fall
Daylight runs from about 13 h 06 min in early September to 9 hours by late November. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Fall
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across fall, about 3.5 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Rapid City
None of Rapid City's seasonal hazards peak in fall. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Rapid City's rainy season runs April–August, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is fall a good time to visit Rapid City?
Our two travel scores rate fall for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
fall is a reasonable time to visit Rapid City for sightseeing.
What to pack for Rapid City in Fall
From fall's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In fall, Rapid City sees daytime highs around 58°F and nights near 36°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 18 days see rain.
UV index in Rapid City in Fall
Clear-sky midday UV across fall averages around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rapid City peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Level | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Very high | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Low |
| Feb | 3 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4 | Moderate |
| Apr | 5 | High |
| May | 7 | High |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 6 | High |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 4 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2 | Low |
| Dec | 1 | Low |
Where is Rapid City?
Rapid City sits at 44.1°N, 103.2°W, 3,241 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Gillette, 114 mi away.
Topography around Rapid City
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Rapid City.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rapid City has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 719 ft around an average of 3,340 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,008 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,108 ft.
The land around Rapid City is covered by artificial surfaces (49%) and grassland (33%) within 2 miles, grassland (64%) and trees (24%) within 10 miles, and grassland (69%) and trees (22%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Rapid City (44.0805°, -103.231°, elevation 3,241 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.