National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Lake-Effect Snow through Friday; Strong Winds in the Northern and Central Plains

A clipper-like system will drop down from Canada on Thursday, bringing wintry weather from the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes through Friday. This system is expected to bring strong northerly winds to much of the northern and central High Plains Thursday afternoon through Friday, with gusts up to 60 mph expected. Read More >

The following tables show the climate information for Rapid City, Gillette, Lead, Winner, Lemmon, Sundance, Spearfish, Newcastle, Hot Springs, and Custer on St. Patrick’s Day, as well as the weather in Rapid City and Gillette for the past 10 St. Patrick’s Days. Average highs around the area on March 17th are in the 40s, with average lows in the 20s.

In 2023, much of the area experienced their coldest St. Patrick's Day of the last decade, with highs generally in the 20s and light snow in some locations. However, in 2024, milder conditions returned, with near-normal temperatures and dry weather.