Moderate to heavy lake-effect snow will develop over the eastern U.P. of Michigan and downwind from Lakes Erie and Ontario. Snow will develop over parts of the Northern Rockies/Northern High Plains into Wednesday. Read More >
The following tables show the climate information for Rapid City, Lead, Gillette, Winner and Lemmon on Columbus Day, as well as the weather at the Rapid City Airport for the past 10 Columbus Days. Average highs around the area are in the upper 50s to upper 60s, with average lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. In 2015, Winner set a record high of 96 degrees. Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937. While South Dakota has celebrated the day as Native American Day since 1990, the federal government still recognizes the holiday as Columbus Day.
Temperature (F) |
Rapid City* |
Lead |
Gillette |
Winner |
Lemmon |
Highest |
90 in 1956 |
80 in 1963 |
83 in 1958 |
96 in 2015 |
87 in 1956 |
Lowest |
19 in 1986 |
14 in 2009 |
13 in 2009 |
20 in 1946 |
18 in 2009 |
Average High |
63.7 |
59 |
62 |
67 |
61 |
Average Low |
38.6 |
38 |
35 |
42 |
37 |
Precipitation (in.) |
Rapid City |
Lead |
Gillette |
Winner |
Lemmon |
Max Precip. |
1.10 in 2013 |
0.88 in 1943 |
0.33 in 1981 |
1.13 in 2008 |
1.10 in 2013 |
Days Measured Precip. |
13 times or 10% |
20 times or 19% |
13 times or 12% |
12 times or 11% |
15 times or 14% |
Max Snowfall |
3.4 in 1969 |
8.0 in 1969 |
3.6 in 1969 |
3 in 1969 |
0.5 in 1997, 2009 |
Days Measured Snow |
4 times or 3% |
6 times or 6% |
4 times or 4% |
2 times or 2% |
2 times or 2% |
Max Snow Depth |
1 in 1977 |
42 in 1982 |
5 in 2008 |
2 in 1969 |
0 |
Year Records Began |
1888 |
1909 |
1902 |
1910 |
1909 |
* Precipitation, records, and frequencies for Rapid City were compiled from the office’s three locations: The original downtown Weather Bureau Office (WBO) data from 1888-1942; the airport data began in 1942, and the East Rapid City Weather Forecast Office (WFO) started in 1996.
Weather at the Rapid City Airport on the Last 10 Columbus Days |
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Date |
High Temperature (F) |
Low Temperature (F) |
Average Temperature (F) |
Precipitation (in.) |
Snowfall (in.) |
Snow Depth (in.) |
2015 |
69 |
41 |
55.0 |
0.00 |
0.0 |
0 |
2014 |
63 |
35 |
49.0 |
0.00 |
0.0 |
0 |
2013 |
46 |
33 |
39.5 |
1.53 |
T |
0 |
2012 |
60 |
39 |
49.5 |
0.00 |
0.0 |
0 |
2011 |
65 |
40 |
52.5 |
0.00 |
0.0 |
0 |
2010 |
75 |
45 |
60.0 |
T |
0.0 |
0 |
2009 |
31 |
16 |
23.5 |
0.00 |
0.0 |
0 |
2008 |
53 |
23 |
38.0 |
0.00 |
0.0 |
0 |
2007 |
71 |
36 |
53.5 |
T |
0.0 |
0 |
2006 |
45 |
38 |
41.5 |
T |
0.0 |
0 |