National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Flooding Threat Continues in Portions of Texas; Poor Air Quality in the Great Lakes through the Mid-Atlantic

Widespread life-threatening flash and urban flooding continues in south-central Texas, with considerable flooding impacts possible across central Texas. Wildfire smoke is impacting air quality across much of the Great Lakes region into southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Monsoonal thunderstorms may produce isolated to scattered flash flooding across the Southwest into the Great Basin. 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.