National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Fire Weather Concerns in the Northern and Central Plains; Severe Thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest

Dry and breezy conditions will bring elevated to critical fire weather conditions across portions of the northern and central High Plains through Saturday, where fuels remain largely receptive. Severe thunderstorms are possible across portions of central Nebraska to the Upper Midwest this afternoon into tonight. Read More >

The following tables show the climate information for Rapid City, Gillette, Lead, Winner, Lemmon, Sundance, Spearfish, Newcastle, Hot Springs, and Custer on Christmas, as well as the weather in Rapid City and Gillette for the past 10 Christmas Days. Record highs around the area have reached the 50s and 60s, with record lows in the teens and 20s below zero.

Most locations have experienced a white Christmas over the past few years, with Rapid City, Lead, Winner, and Spearfish all seeing a white Christmas in 2023. Of the five sites listed, white Christmases have been most frequent in Lead, occurring around 80% of the time.