Rapid City Downtown, SD
South Dakota · Records since 1888–2026
⛅ 87°F
Currently in Rapid City Downtown
As of 6:00 PM MDT
Records for July 28
🔥 Record High
104°F
July 28, 2006
+19° from 85° normal❄ Record Low
47°F
July 28, 1971
-16° from 63° normal
🌞 Normal high: 85°F 🌑 Normal low: 63°F 1991–2020 normals
All-Time Records — Rapid City Downtown
110°F
Hottest Day Ever
Jul 25, 2026
-34°F
Coldest Day Ever
Feb 11, 1899
5.57"
Wettest Day Ever
May 27, 1926
20.0"
Most Snow in One Day
Apr 18, 1970
Top 10 Record Highs — July 28
| # | Temp | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 🏆 | 104°F | July 28, 2006 |
| 2 | 103°F | July 28, 1947 |
| 3 | 102°F | July 28, 1933 |
| 4 | 101°F | July 28, 1917 |
| 5 | 100°F | July 28, 1935 |
| 6 | 99°F | July 28, 1897 |
| 7 | 98°F | July 28, 2021 |
| 8 | 98°F | July 28, 1999 |
| 9 | 98°F | July 28, 1959 |
| 10 | 97°F | July 28, 2001 |
Top 5 Record Lows — July 28
| # | Temp | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 🥶 | 47°F | July 28, 1971 |
| 2 | 51°F | July 28, 2013 |
| 3 | 52°F | July 28, 1925 |
| 4 | 52°F | July 28, 1918 |
| 5 | 52°F | July 28, 1899 |
Heat Wave Summary — Rapid City Downtown
threshold: 94°F (90th percentile of historical Jun–Aug highs)3.8
Avg heat wave length
days (historical)
101°
Avg peak temp
during heat waves
9
Dangerous nights 2026
Overnights ≥ 70°F
3
Heat waves 2026
so far
2026 Daily High Temperature vs Normal
Year to date
Above normal
Below normal
142 of 207 days with data were above the 1991–2020 normal high for their date.
Days ≥ 90°F Per Year
1888–202628
2026 so far
25
Avg/year 1970–2025
29
Avg/year (last 10 complete)
55
Most in a year (1936)
Average Daily High by Decade
Full year · complete decades only
Longest Heat Waves — Rapid City Downtown
| # | Dates | Days | Peak | Avg High | Avg Overnight Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏆 | Jul 2, 1936 – Jul 11, 1936 | 10 | 106°F (Jul 5) | 102°F | 71°F |
| 2 | Jul 21, 1931 – Jul 27, 1931 | 7 | 105°F (Jul 25) | 100°F | 70°F |
| 3 | Jul 10, 2026 – Jul 16, 2026 | 7 | 105°F (Jul 12) | 101°F | 68°F |
| 4 | Jul 18, 2012 – Jul 24, 2012 | 7 | 103°F (Jul 19) | 98°F | 68°F |
| 5 | Sep 4, 1931 – Sep 10, 1931 | 7 | 101°F (Sep 7) | 98°F | 64°F |
| 6 | Jul 8, 1954 – Jul 13, 1954 | 6 | 107°F (Jul 9) | 101°F | 70°F |
| 7 | Jul 21, 1936 – Jul 26, 1936 | 6 | 106°F (Jul 23) | 99°F | 68°F |
| 8 | Jul 17, 1934 – Jul 22, 1934 | 6 | 104°F (Jul 18) | 100°F | 70°F |
| 9 | Jul 14, 1936 – Jul 19, 1936 | 6 | 104°F (Jul 19) | 100°F | 70°F |
| 10 | Jul 8, 1939 – Jul 13, 1939 | 6 | 104°F (Jul 10) | 98°F | 67°F |
Heat Waves Per Year
Warm Summer Nights (Jun–Aug)
Nights where the overnight low exceeded the 1991–2020 normal low
35
2026 so far
above-normal nights
44.7
Avg / summer
1970–2020
63
Most in a summer
1936
Above-Normal Summer Nights Per Year
Average June–August Low by Decade
Overnight lows · complete decades only
Precipitation
Actual vs. 1991–2020 full-month and full-season normals
6.39"
2026 YTD
Normal: 13.74"
-7.35"
0.84"
July so far
July normal: 2.62"
-1.78"
1.62"
Summer so far
Summer normal: 8.12"
-6.50"
1
2026 heavy rain days
Days with ≥ 1.0"
Monthly Precipitation — Last 24 Months
Blue = actual · dashed line = monthly normal
Annual Precipitation Per Year (1970–2026)
Blue = above average · tan = below average · gold = 2026 (partial)
Heavy Rain Days Per Year (≥ 1.0")
Compare year-to-year changes in days with heavy rainfall (≥ 1.0")