Rapid City, SD

Weather Forecast Office

Recreation Forecasts

Lakes, Parks, Reservoirs, and More

48-Hour Graphical Forecast

Hot Air Balloons

Soundings

Recreation Areas in Northeastern Wyoming and Western South Dakota Crazy Horse Memorial
Devils Tower National Monument
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (near the Spearfish entrance)

Parks

Badlands National Park (Interior entrance)
Custer State Park
Wind Cave National Park

Lakes

Sheridan Lake

Reservoirs

Angostura Reservoir
Belle Fourche Reservoir
Cold Brook Reservoir
Deerfield Reservoir
Keyhole Reservoir
Pactola Reservoir
Shadehill Reservoir

Learn About Weather Safety

Angostura Reservoir
Belle Fourche Reservoir
Badlands National Park (Ben Reifel Visitors Center)
Badlands National Park (White River Visitors Center)
Cold Brook Reservoir
Custer State Park Visitors Center
Crazy Horse Memorial
Deerfield Reservoir
Devils Tower National Monument
Keyhole Reservoir
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Pactola Reservoir
Sheridan Lake
Shadehill Reservoir
Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (Savoy)
Wind Cave National Park Visitors Center

Latest Hot Air Balloon Text Forecast

We'd like to know how you use this forecast. Please send a note to our Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Aaron Woodward. Thanks!

                        
548
SXUS43 KUNR 150901
RECUNR

Morning Hot Air Balloon Forecast
National Weather Service Rapid City SD
301 AM MDT Sun Mar 15 2026

This forecast is information to assist pilots and aircrews for flight planning
and is not to be considered as a sole source of information to meet all
preflight actions. Pilots should receive a complete preflight briefing from a
Flight Service Station (1-800-WXBRIEF) or online via 1800wxbrief.com.

...HERE IS THE MORNING HOT AIR BALLOON FORECAST
FOR THE HOT SPRINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...

.THIS MORNING...
    Sunrise:                         704 AM.

    Surface Wind Forecast:           6 AM...360/14G30 mph.
                                     8 AM...360/17G24 mph.

    Boundary Layer Wind:             7 AM...360/30 mph. Depth 900 ft.
                                     9 AM...360/30 mph. Depth 2600 ft.

    RAP Winds (at 7 AM):              250ft...350/12 mph.
                                      500ft...350/22 mph.
                                     1000ft...350/28 mph.
                                     2000ft...360/33 mph.
                                     3000ft...010/37 mph.

    Surface Lifted Index:            6 AM...+9.
                                     9 AM...+7.

    Density Altitude:                6 AM...1502 ft.
                                     8 AM...1391 ft.

    Additional Weather Info:         ceilings around 4000 feet AGL,
                                     unrestricted visibilities,
                                     40 percent chance of precipitation.


.OUTLOOK FOR THIS AFTERNOON...
    Sunset:         659 PM.

    Weather:        ceilings around 5000 feet AGL,
                    unrestricted visibilities,
                    20 percent chance of precipitation.

    Surface Wind:   3 PM...020/17G24 mph.
                    5 PM...350/15G23 mph.

    Boundary Wind:  3 PM...360/28 mph. Depth 4000 ft.
                    5 PM...360/24 mph. Depth 3300 ft.

    RAP Winds (at 3 PM):  250ft...350/11 mph.
                          500ft...340/16 mph.
                         1000ft...340/20 mph.
                         2000ft...330/23 mph.
                         3000ft...320/25 mph.


.OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW MORNING...
    Surface Wind Forecast:           6 AM...270/06 mph.
                                     8 AM...230/06 mph.

    RAP Winds (at 7 AM):              250ft...280/11 mph.
                                      500ft...300/15 mph.
                                     1000ft...320/17 mph.
                                     2000ft...330/20 mph.
                                     3000ft...340/24 mph.

    Additional Weather Info:         clear below 12000 feet AGL,
                                     unrestricted visibilities.


This forecast is not routinely updated or amended outside of any scheduled
issuances.

&&

Additional aviation observations and forecasts are available at
aviationweather.gov. You can also read the local aviation forecast discussion
at https://www.aviationweather.gov/fcstdisc.

$$

WFO UNR

Note: "Boundary layer" above refers to the planetary boundary layer, or the layer within which the effects of friction are significant (courtesy of the NWS Glossary). The depth of this layer will vary throughout the day, typically reaching its maximum depth in the afternoon and minimum depth overnight.

Link: Vertical Wind Profile for Hot Springs Municipal Airport (courtesy CWSU Seattle)

The soundings below show temperature (in red) and dew point (in green) at decreasing pressures (increasing heights) throughout the atmosphere.

Winds (in knots; 1 knot = 1.15078 mph) are shown at right.
Pennants or flags correspond to 50 kt, long barbs represent 10 kt, and short barbs represent 5 kt. Winds are also colored by magnitude.
The shaft points to the direction from which the wind is blowing. More information about wind barbs can be found here.

Latest Observed Sounding from Rapid City (courtesy NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research)

Forecast Soundings for the Hot Springs Municipal Airport (click to zoom)