National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Excessive Rainfall Potential for the Southeast; Heat Expands for Center of the Nation; Critical Fire Weather for Pacific Northwest

Flash flooding threatens areas from the Tennessee Valley to the Carolinas as storms repeat along a stalled front. Monsoonal storms may trigger flooding in the Southwest. Dangerous heat expands across the Desert Southwest, Plains, mid-Mississippi Valley and Southern Tier. Critical fire weather for interior Pacific Northwest. Cooler, drier air brings brief relief to the Great Lakes and Northeast. Read More >

The following tables show the climate information for Rapid City, Gillette, Lead, Winner, Lemmon, Sundance, Spearfish, Newcastle, Hot Springs, and Custer on Independence Day, as well as the weather in Rapid City and Gillette for the past 10 Independence Days. Average highs around the area on July 4th are in the 80s, with upper 70s in the Black Hills. Early July is notorious for severe thunderstorms, so be aware of the potential for dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning, strong winds, and large hail when celebrating!

Independence Day in 2023 was unseasonably cool across much of the area, with the high in Rapid City only reaching 61°—a mere one degree above the record low maximum for July 4th. 2024's Independence Day was warmer, but temperatures remained below normal, with highs generally in the 70s.