Rapid City and the Black Hills
Ideal. That describes our location in a city that is the region's economic and cultural center and is in the heart of the Upper Midwest's foremost wilderness area. From movie theaters and shopping to snowboarding and solitude, the School of Mines location provides you with an exceptional range of out-of-class opportunities.
Climate
Welcome to the Banana Belt, one of the mildest climates in the Midwest. Protected by the beautiful Black Hills, Rapid City residents enjoy low humidity levels and infrequent precipitation. Extreme temperatures, either cold or hot, are very rare.
While the Dakotas have been tagged as the breeding ground for icy blizzards and scorching summers, it simply isn't so in Rapid City. Protected by 6,000 and 7,000 foot peaks in the Black Hills, Rapid City enjoys an envious climatic location.
Summers are warm, but dry, with a long pleasant fall season. Temperatures can be mild even in the winter months. The temperature dips below 0° F an average of only 21 days each year.
Average Sunny Days: 275
Annual Average Rainfall: 16.7 inches
Annual Average Snowfall: 39.1 inches
Average Elevation: 3,162
Temperature and Precipitation
| Month | Month
(°F)
| Precip
(") |
| January | 24 | 0.40 |
| February | 26 | 0.46 |
| March | 34 | 1.01 |
| April | 46 | 2.00 |
| May | 55 | 3.24 |
| June | 65 | 3.36 |
| July | 73 | 2.32 |
| August | 71 | 1.77 |
| September | 61 | 1.19 |
| October | 50 | 0.99 |
| November | 36 | 0.48 |
| December | 28 | 0.38 |
For more information on the Rapid City area, click here: Rapid City Information