National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Prolonged Atmospheric River in the Northwest; Snow in the North-Central US

A prolonged atmospheric river will bring heavy rainfall which may lead to widespread urban and river flooding, heavy mountain snow, along with gusty winds to the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies through much of the week. A clipper will bring a period of snow across the upper Midwest and the Great Lakes into Tuesday, before a stronger system bring more wintry impacts. 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.