2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Rapid City, SD vs Scottsbluff, NE

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Highlights

On average, there are 224 sunny days per year in Scottsbluff. Rapid City averages 226 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Scottsbluff, Nebraska gets 14.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. Rapid City, South Dakota gets 18.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Scottsbluff averages 38.9 inches of snow per year. Rapid City averages 38 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Summer High:
the July high is around 89.3 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 14.4
Rain: averages 14.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 38.9 inches of snow a year

Rapid City, South Dakota
Summer High:
the July high is around 85.3 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 14.2
Rain: averages 18.2 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 38 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index
Scottsbluff

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Scottsbluff is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in Nebraska.

7.1 / 10
June, September and August are the most pleasant months in Scottsbluff, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Rapid City

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Rapid City is 7.0 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in South Dakota.

7 / 10
August, July and June are the most pleasant months in Rapid City, while February and January are the least comfortable months.

Today's Weather - Rapid City, SD

9 PM PST

Partly Cloudy

39°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TonightPartly Cloudy34° / 67°NW 3 to 8 mph
Tuesday NightPartly Cloudy44° / 59°S 8 to 12 mph
Wednesday NightSlight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy40° / 64°NW 8 to 15 mph
Thursday NightMostly Clear38° / 71°NW 6 to 13 mph
Friday NightMostly Clear46° / 80°S 7 to 12 mph
Saturday NightMostly Clear51° / 79°S 8 to 13 mph
Sunday NightChance Rain Showers51° / 72°S 9 to 15 mph
Today's Weather - Scottsbluff, NE

9 PM PST

Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy

44°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TonightChance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy35° / 67°WNW 5 to 10 mph
Tuesday NightMostly Clear40° / 67°S 5 to 15 mph
Wednesday NightChance Rain Showers39° / 64°NNW 5 to 15 mph
Thursday NightMostly Clear35° / 72°NNW 0 to 10 mph
Friday NightClear44° / 78°SSE 5 to 15 mph
Saturday NightMostly Clear46° / 79°SE 10 to 15 mph
Sunday NightChance Rain Showers46° / 70°SSE 10 to 20 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthRapid City, SDScottsbluff, NE
January38° / 14°41° / 14°
February39° / 16°44° / 16°
March47° / 23°52° / 24°
April57° / 32°61° / 32°
May67° / 43°71° / 43°
June76° / 52°82° / 53°
July85° / 59°89° / 58°
August85° / 58°87° / 56°
September74° / 47°78° / 46°
October60° / 35°64° / 34°
November47° / 24°50° / 22°
December37° / 15°40° / 13°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Rapid City / Scottsbluff
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 029 / 304 / 35 / 4
February0 / 026 / 275 / 45 / 4
March0 / 025 / 266 / 64 / 4
April0 / 015 / 149 / 83 / 2
May0 / 13 / 211 / 110 / 0
June2 / 60 / 012 / 100 / 0
July9 / 150 / 09 / 70 / 0
August8 / 120 / 08 / 70 / 0
September2 / 41 / 16 / 70 / 0
October0 / 010 / 127 / 61 / 1
November0 / 023 / 274 / 53 / 3
December0 / 029 / 314 / 44 / 4
July is the hottest month for Rapid City with an average high temperature of 85.3°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in South Dakota. In Rapid City, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Rapid City are June, September and August.

July is the hottest month for Scottsbluff with an average high temperature of 89.3°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in Nebraska. In Scottsbluff, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Scottsbluff are September, June and May.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Rapid City with an average of 14.2°. This is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Scottsbluff with an average of 13.3°. This is about average compared to other places in Nebraska.

In Rapid City, there are 22.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in South Dakota.

In Scottsbluff, there are 38.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Nebraska.

In Rapid City, there are 159.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in South Dakota.

In Scottsbluff, there are 169.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in Nebraska.

In Rapid City, there are 14.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the warmest places in South Dakota.

In Scottsbluff, there are 11.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Nebraska.

May is the wettest month in Rapid City with 3.8 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 38% of yearly precipitation and 6% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 18.2 inches in Rapid City means that it is drier than most places in South Dakota.


June is the wettest month in Scottsbluff with 2.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 40% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 14.9 inches in Scottsbluff means that it is one of the driest places in Nebraska.

June is the rainiest month in Rapid City with 11.8 days of rain, and November is the driest month with only 4.0 rainy days. There are 85.4 rainy days annually in Rapid City, which is rainier than most places in South Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 34% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 15% chance of a rainy day.

May is the rainiest month in Scottsbluff with 10.6 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 3.3 rainy days. There are 75.5 rainy days annually in Scottsbluff, which is less rainy than most places in Nebraska. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 32% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 15% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 38.0 inches in Rapid City means that it is about average compared to other places in South Dakota.

An annual snowfall of 38.9 inches in Scottsbluff means that it is one of the snowiest places in Nebraska.
March is the snowiest month in Rapid City with 8.6 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.

March is the snowiest month in Scottsbluff with 7.3 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.

DID YOU KNOW?

Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.

Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.

Reviews for Rapid City    2 Reviews

Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

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Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

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Start Your Review of Rapid City

Reviews for Scottsbluff    2 Reviews

Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

   |    Reply

Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Scottsbluff

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