National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Winter Storm to Continue Impacting the Mid-Atlantic States Tonight; Potent Winter Storm in the Central U.S.; Heavy Rain and Severe Thunderstorms in the Southern U.S. Wednesday

A winter storm will continue to impact the Mid-Atlantic through tonight with areas of heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain. A winter storm will begin to impact the Central Plains Wednesday, bringing heavy snow from central Kansas through much of Lower Michigan. This system will also produce a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain from central Oklahoma through Missouri and into Ohio. Read More >

The following tables show the climate information for Rapid City, Gillette, Lead, Winner, Lemmon, Sundance, Spearfish, Newcastle, Hot Springs, and Custer on Independence Day, as well as the weather in Rapid City and Gillette for the past 10 Independence Days. Average highs around the area on July 4th are in the 80s, with upper 70s in the Black Hills. Early July is notorious for severe thunderstorms, so be aware of the potential for dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning, strong winds, and large hail when celebrating!

Independence Day in 2023 was unseasonably cool across much of the area, with the high in Rapid City only reaching 61°—a mere one degree above the record low maximum for July 4th. 2024's Independence Day was warmer, but temperatures remained below normal, with highs generally in the 70s.