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I will be spending 3 weeks in Rapid City in October. What is the weather like then. Will I need Arctic clothing?
It won't be bad. Moderate temps during the day, 50+ but cool nights. Although I've seen snow in October, I haven't seen it in several years. Very isolated. Frost in the mornings but warming up to a respectible temp by mid morning.
Depends on what part of October you come... beginning has average highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s, while late October can be the same but is often very cold... like 30s!
Rapid City is in the path of the warm trade winds. Hence it's beastly hot there in the summer and gratifyinly warm in the dead of winter. Quite often Rapid City will report 70 degree flukeish "chinooks" or hot blasts of air via Canada and courtesy of the trade winds.
This is NOT a sign of so-called "global warming," of which there is not such thing, by the way. The chinooks have been going on for centuries. Sometimes the warmish blasts will stray and hit northeastern South Dakota.
This chart should give you an idea of the Oct. temps in the Rapid. Everyone was quite accurate according to this site.
Keep in mind that there is very little humidity (semi-arid climate) so if you come from an area that has humidity, you'll probably feel pretty chilly in the morning. I'd skip bringing along the long johns and coveralls for Oct., but you'll definitely want jeans and a jacket.
Jim, I couldn't agree with you more on your comment about global warming.
I may have to disagree with you on the Global Warming topic... there has been sufficient evidence supporting this theory and I believe that we have to pay attention to it whether we believe it is real or not...
Around South Dakota there is evidence of it... brutally hot summers, mild snowless winters, record low lake levels. In fact, the past ELEVEN DAYS it has been over 100 degrees in Rapid City... this has never happened for this long EVER before!
Look at all of the heat-related deaths in Europe... EUROPE!!!
There are less snow-capped mountains... people now hike to the top of mountains which were once COVERED with inpassable snow and ice.
Glaciers are disappearing
More insects are appearing
Plants grow in Greenland
Polar Bears are drowning due to lack of ice
Buildings in Alaska are crumbling due to melted permafrost
Danny, I understand what you're saying. But my opinion is totally different and I won't go into it on our state board, but feel free to check out my post on the "Weather" board. If you have trouble finding it, let me know and I'll provide the link to the page my post is on. I'm not saying I'm right, but I've gathered some very valid points to consider. One of the top things that concerns So. Dak. is the fact that they've found tropical plants and fossils from animals that could only survive in a tropical setting in So. Dak. which proves that at one time we were a tropical area.
BUT let me add that it's kind of nice that people are concerned about the earth. Maybe all this waste will stop if they have something that will scare them.
It'd be nice to have some people from our state who would be interested in participating on the new "Weather" topic on this forum.
This topic may be a blessing in disguise to make people more aware and less dependant on the almighty automobile!
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