National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heat the Southwest; Fire Weather in the Central U.S.; Kona Low Impacting Hawaii

A rare March heat wave is ongoing with much above-normal temperatures over the Southwest U.S. through this weekend. Periods of critical fire weather will persist from the central Rockies to the central and southern Plains through the weekend as gusty winds and low relative humidity continue. A Kona low will continue to bring several rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall to Hawaii through Sunday. Read More >

The following tables show the climate information for Rapid City, Gillette, Lead, Winner, Lemmon, Sundance, Spearfish, Newcastle, Hot Springs, and Custer on St. Patrick’s Day, as well as the weather in Rapid City and Gillette for the past 10 St. Patrick’s Days. Average highs around the area on March 17th are in the 40s, with average lows in the 20s.

In 2023, much of the area experienced their coldest St. Patrick's Day of the last decade, with highs generally in the 20s and light snow in some locations. However, in 2024, milder conditions returned, with near-normal temperatures and dry weather.