National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Severe Thunderstorms and Excessive Rainfall in the Central U.S.; Heat Building in the Western U.S.

A cold front pressing east across the central U.S. will be the focus for areas of strong to severe thunderstorms and excessive rainfall through this weekend. Strong to severe thunderstorms my bring damaging winds, hail, and a few tornadoes while excessive rainfall may lead to areas of flooding. Heat will build across the western U.S. with heat-related watches, warnings, and advisories issued. 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.