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United States › South Dakota › Pennington County › Climate Station RAPID CITY RGNL AP, SD US Distance 11.8 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Pennington County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

86.4°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 12.7°F.

Pennington County gets 17.44" of precipitation a year and 48.5" of snow, and 49% of it falls in May, Jun, Jul.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

20° 40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 36.0° 12.7° 0.31" 5.3"
February 38.1° 14.0° 0.50" 7.7"
March 48.2° 22.6° 0.91" 8.4"
April 56.6° 31.2° 2.08" 10.1"
May 66.5° 41.7° 3.45" 1.5"
June 77.6° 51.6° 2.87" 0.0"
July 86.4° 58.5° 2.28" 0.0"
August 85.4° 56.2° 1.59" 0.0"
September 76.1° 46.4° 1.22" 0.1"
October 60.4° 33.7° 1.41" 3.0"
November 47.3° 21.9° 0.47" 5.7"
December 37.2° 13.9° 0.35" 6.7"

Rainfall by month

Pennington County has a distinct wet season. 49% of the year's precipitation arrives in May, Jun, Jul.

January 0.31"
February 0.50"
March 0.91"
April 2.08"
May 3.45"
June 2.87"
July 2.28"
August 1.59"
September 1.22"
October 1.41"
November 0.47"
December 0.35"
Annual total 17.44"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 607
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 7,252
Approximate annual cooling cost At 15.73¢/kWh, South Dakota average $95
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $399

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Pennington County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Pennington County?

Pennington County averages a high of 86.4°F in July and a low of 12.7°F in January. Annual precipitation is 17.44 inches, including 48.5 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Pennington County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 49% of the year's precipitation. That is a pronounced wet season rather than rain spread evenly through the year.

How hot does it get in Pennington County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 86.4°F. That drives 607 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Pennington County?

Yes. Pennington County averages 48.5 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station RAPID CITY RGNL AP, SD US (USW00024090), 11.8 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, South Dakota residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.