Rapid City's Christmas Record-Breaking Heatwave
- WeatherSD
- Dec 26, 2025
- 1 min read
The Christmas season in Rapid City, South Dakota, brought an unexpected surprise this year. Instead of the usual cold and snowy weather, the region experienced record-breaking warmth that shattered decades-old temperature records.
On Christmas Day, Rapid City Airport recorded a high of 71 degrees Fahrenheit, surpassing the previous record of 60 degrees set in 1963. Similarly, East Rapid City reached 68 degrees, breaking the old record of 63 degrees from the same year.
The forecast indicates that the warmth will continue through Saturday, with highs in the mid-50s and a chance of light rain or snow. After that, colder air will return on Sunday, bringing a sharp drop in temperatures and strong northwest winds with gusts up to 40 mph. This will cause wind chill readings to fall below zero, creating a stark contrast to the recent warmth.
By Monday, temperatures are expected to rebound into the lower 40s, suggesting a pattern of fluctuating weather as winter asserts itself once again.
The east was enveloped in thick fog, which kept temperatures in the 30s. However, on Saturday, Sioux Falls has a chance to reach a record high before the cold snap anticipated on Sunday.