COLDER WINTERS? Rapid City OR Sioux Falls? (live in, dryer)

[Tiger Beer]

Which has colder winters?

Rapid City (and the western side of the state) or Sioux Falls (and the eastern side of the state)?

Is it a minor difference or a noticeable difference?

[BusySocialWorker]

I vote definatly Sioux Falls

I have lived in both locations and Rapid is noticibly different - our snow melts quickly, we have very low humidity, and a generally warmer climate by a very noticible amount! My family still lives East river and the winter visits are something I dislike - but I also dislike the summer visits because of the bugs and humidity - good thing I love my family and that makes the vists very worthwhile

[ashnat]

you know what, I think it's a toss up.

I think both sides have COLD winters, the east side has more snow. But we both have below zero temps. I haven't lived in Sioux Falls for over 10 years, but I think the west side is windier, making the wind chill worse on the west side.

Although, each year can be different.

As far as cold goes, you're sol on both sides of the state

[DannyBanany]

Sioux Falls wins this by a landslide. It's a wet cold East River. The cold just makes you ache and snow that falls is around all year long. My mom has chronic pain and she hates going to Sioux Falls in the winter because it makes her stiff and achy.

Rapid City's winter (with exception to this one) are usually pretty mild. Snow that does fall melts in a matter of a few days and the snow isn't as wet and heavy as they get in Sioux Falls. I think it's just as windy here as it is in Sioux Falls though. I had a friend that moved to Sioux Falls from Rapid City and she said Sioux Falls is worse. I think wind just comes with the territory when you live in South Dakota.

I have to say, the Northside of Rapid City gets a lot of wind in comparison to other parts of town. The Northside is out in the prairie on kind of a plateau too so that probably aides the wind.

[WyoNewk]

I think SF feels colder. It's usually dryer in RC, and that helps, but even more important is the sunshine -- it feels warmer at RC's higher elevation. I think SF is just ghastly cold! BRRRRRRRRRR!

[Jammie]

Climatology Comparison for Rapid City, SD - weather.com

Neither side is tropical. But Rapid City generally has more days that warm up during the wintertime. It can be 10 in Sx. Falls and 50 in Rapid City. Sioux Falls is so close to Mn. that we kind of have a Mn. climate. Not sure about snowfall though. I think several areas in the Hills beat their record snowfalls this year.

[Chris19]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Which has colder winters?

Rapid City (and the western side of the state) or Sioux Falls (and the eastern side of the state)?

Is it a minor difference or a noticeable difference?

Rapid City normally has milder winters than Sioux Falls. There may be a few exceptions but is normally the case. Rapid City often warms up quicker in the winter also.

This past winter, Rapid City has received quite a bit more snow than Sioux Falls. If Sioux Falls received snow instead of rain in the past two months, it would have had much more snow.

[debey]

Originally Posted by Chris19

Rapid City normally has milder winters than Sioux Falls. There may be a few exceptions but is normally the case. Rapid City often warms up quicker in the winter also.

This past winter, Rapid City has received quite a bit more snow than Sioux Falls. If Sioux Falls received snow instead of rain in the past two months, it would have had much more snow.

rub it in!!! LOL........actually, for as much snow as we've had, most of it is gone.....unless it gets no sunshine......

[leroyleroux]

That is an easy question. I don't know why, but Rapid City is always warmer. There is a sort of belt in the southwestern corner of the state that we always referred to as the banana belt. Sometimes the temps are pretty close, but for the majority of the winter, Rapid and that area are noticeably warmer.