Hail & Wind Storms in Rapid City, SD — Latest Dates and Sizes
Hail and wind activity within ~25 miles of Rapid City, South Dakota or recorded for its county: the last 12 months from NWS warnings, storm reports, and station measurements, plus official NOAA records back to 2010.
Latest hail and wind near Rapid City
- Last reported hail (0.75 in.+, screening): August 23, 2026 — 1.75 in. reported 14 mi W of Rapid City (Pactola Resv), NWS Local Storm Report.
- Last wind gust 45 mph+ (screening): September 14, 2026 — 61 mph reported 2.3 mi NE of Rapid City (3 ENE Dwtn Rapid City), NWS Local Storm Report.
- 2026 so far: 13 hail days and 45 wind days within 25 miles (days with a storm report or station gust at the screening thresholds; warnings alone never count).
| Date | Largest reported hail | Strongest gust |
|---|---|---|
| September 14, 2026 | — | 61 mph reported |
| September 7, 2026 | — | 67 mph measured |
| September 6, 2026 | — | 67 mph reported |
| August 30, 2026 | — | 63 mph measured |
| August 24, 2026 | — | 53 mph reported |
| August 23, 2026 | 1.75 in. reported | — |
| August 18, 2026 | 1.50 in. reported | 69 mph measured |
| August 16, 2026 | 0.88 in. reported | — |
| August 11, 2026 | 3.60 in. reported | — |
| August 10, 2026 | 1.50 in. reported | — |
Was your address hit on September 14, 2026? Check any address free with the Free Report Snapshot — a YES/NO estimate at the screening thresholds.
Rapid City storm facts
- StormAuditor's analysis of NOAA and National Weather Service records found 729 wind and hail events, NWS warning products included, within 25 miles of Rapid City, South Dakota or recorded for Pennington County in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 (626 wind, 103 hail).
- The strongest gust within 25 miles of Rapid City in the last 12 months was 101 mph, reported 3.7 mi S of Rapid City (4 S Dwtn Rapid City) on December 18, 2025 (NWS Local Storm Report; storm reports and station gusts only, warnings excluded).
- The largest hail reported within 25 miles of Rapid City in the last 12 months was 3.60 in., 18 mi S of Rapid City (2 SSW Hermosa) on August 11, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report).
- The busiest day by event count near Rapid City was August 11, 2026, with 37 events.
- Pennington County alone recorded 568 of those wind and hail events (492 wind, 76 hail); the South Dakota page ranks counties by events of every type, floods and Special Weather Statements included.
Rapid City, South Dakota storm history at a glance (last 12 months)
This free weather history for Rapid City — home to about 80,000 residents — draws on StormAuditor's consolidated public record: 729 wind and hail events within 25 miles of Rapid City or recorded for Pennington County in the trailing 12 months — 626 wind and 103 hail.
Events combine NWS warning products, observed Local Storm Reports, station measurements and official NCEI records in one event table. Because they include warnings, and wind covers thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm wind alike, they measure something different from the NCEI entry counts in the history section below; the two are not comparable year to year.
Busiest days near Rapid City by event count
Ranked by the number of 12-month events, NWS warnings included, so a day with many warnings can outrank a day with larger hail.
- August 11, 2026 — 37 events incl. warnings · 8 wind · 29 hail · storm-date page: 32 storm reports
- December 18, 2025 — 30 events incl. warnings · 30 wind · storm-date page: 48 storm reports
- January 16, 2026 — 29 events incl. warnings · 29 wind · storm-date page: 79 storm reports
- January 18, 2026 — 25 events incl. warnings · 25 wind
- December 17, 2025 — 24 events incl. warnings · 24 wind
Storm-day records for Rapid City
Storm-date pages for the biggest days near Rapid City: a report or station gust within 25 miles met NWS severe criteria (hail 1.00 in.+ or wind 58 mph+), with at least two separate observations. Not every storm day in the table above has a page. Each page lists the reports, station gusts and a free way to check one address:
- August 11, 2026 (hail 3.60 in.)
- July 2, 2026 (hail 1.75 in., gusts 86 mph)
- January 16, 2026 (gusts 88 mph)
- December 18, 2025 (gusts 101 mph)
How these numbers are counted
The storm numbers on this page are counted in four different ways, plus the free address check. Each answers a different question with its own size cutoffs, area and time span, so compare numbers within one group, not across groups.
- Storm days (latest hail and wind): A day in the last 12 months when at least one report within 25 miles of Rapid City showed hail 0.75 in. or larger or wind of 45 mph or more (StormAuditor screening thresholds). Reports are NWS storm reports from spotters, the public and officials, plus weather-station gusts, which count from 50 mph. A warning on its own never makes a storm day. The latest and largest hail, the latest and strongest gust, and the storm-day table all use this record.
- Storm-date pages (NWS severe): A storm-date page is published only when at least one report or station gust within 25 miles of a city met the National Weather Service severe criteria (hail 1.00 in. or larger, or wind 58 mph or more), at least two separate observations were logged, and the day ranks among the most significant. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. Not every storm day gets a page; when one does, the page and the storm-day table show the same largest hail and strongest gust.
- Events (12-month counts): Events count NWS warnings, storm reports (wind 50 mph+, hail 0.75 in.+), station gusts (50 mph+) and NCEI entries within 25 miles of Rapid City or recorded for Pennington County, tornado entries counted as wind. One event is one place on one day, counted separately for hail and for wind. A weather station or storm-report point counts once a day, at that day's highest reading, however many readings it filed; a place with hail and wind on the same day is two events. NWS warnings count once per county per day, and each NCEI entry once per place per day. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. The same report arriving through another feed (SPC or NCEI) is one record. Events measure how busy the area was, not whether a storm hit: one storm can bring warnings and reports from many places, so the busiest days by event count can differ from the storm days.
- NOAA history (since 2010): The official NOAA storm record (NCEI Storm Events) within 25 miles of Rapid City or in Pennington County from January 1, 2010 to the day before the 12-month window starts: hail 0.50 in.+, thunderstorm wind 40 mph+ and tornadoes. It is a separate, older record with its own "storm days" (days with any entry), so its counts are not compared with the 12-month numbers.
- Free Report Snapshot: A free YES/NO estimate for one address, from radar and wind analysis at the property rather than area reports, at the same screening thresholds: hail 0.75 in. or wind 45 mph.
Full method: Methodology and Data Sources.
Rapid City hail and wind history in NOAA NCEI records, 2010–Oct. 2025
This section covers January 1, 2010 through October 6, 2025. Storms from October 7, 2025 on are in the 12-month summary above, so no date is counted in both.
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,959 NCEI Storm Events entries within 25 miles of Rapid City or in Pennington County for this period, on 376 separate storm days. Hail is the more common entry — 1,418 hail reports to 531 thunderstorm wind reports.
Hail peaks in July (36% of all hail reports), while thunderstorm wind reports cluster in June. None of these NCEI storm days fell in December through February.
The most storm days came in 2013 and 2019, with 31 each; the fewest in a full year was 14, in 2021. Across 2022–2024, the area averaged 23 storm days a year, below the 15-year average of 24.
The largest hail in these records for this area was 4.50 in. (softball size), reported in 4 different years — most recently on June 12, 2022 in Pennington County. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 15 different years of this record, the latest being 2024. The strongest measured thunderstorm gust was 89 mph on July 27, 2011 in Pennington County. NCEI also lists 10 tornado entries for the area — one entry per county a tornado crossed.
- Average: 24 storm days a year (2010–2024)
- June and July: 66% of all hail reports
- Most hail reports in one year: 167 in 2020
- Hail of 1 in. or larger reported in every full year, 2010–2024
| Year | Hail reports | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornado entries | Storm days | Largest hail | Strongest measured gust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 53 | 29 | 1 | 21 | 2.50 in. | 75 mph |
| 2011 | 105 | 30 | 1 | 28 | 3.00 in. | 89 mph |
| 2012 | 52 | 37 | 0 | 26 | 2.00 in. | 68 mph |
| 2013 | 120 | 21 | 2 | 31 | 4.25 in. | 83 mph |
| 2014 | 65 | 22 | 1 | 21 | 3.00 in. | 86 mph |
| 2015 | 86 | 38 | 0 | 20 | 4.50 in. | 82 mph |
| 2016 | 107 | 46 | 1 | 29 | 3.00 in. | 83 mph |
| 2017 | 55 | 32 | 0 | 17 | 2.00 in. | 76 mph |
| 2018 | 107 | 30 | 0 | 27 | 3.00 in. | 77 mph |
| 2019 | 114 | 27 | 3 | 31 | 3.00 in. | 72 mph |
| 2020 | 167 | 50 | 0 | 25 | 4.50 in. | 76 mph |
| 2021 | 58 | 31 | 0 | 14 | 4.50 in. | 70 mph |
| 2022 | 54 | 30 | 0 | 21 | 4.50 in. | 81 mph |
| 2023 | 162 | 20 | 1 | 26 | 3.25 in. | 72 mph |
| 2024 | 80 | 40 | 0 | 23 | 3.00 in. | 71 mph |
| 2025 through Oct. 6 | 33 | 48 | 0 | 16 | 1.75 in. | 71 mph |
Download this history: CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-history/sd/rapid-city.json (free, open license, cite StormAuditor).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (thunderstorm wind, hail, and tornado entries; hail 0.50 in. or larger, wind 40 mph or more; wind converted from knots).
Rapid City storm history questions, 2010–Oct. 2025
How big did hail get in Rapid City, 2010–Oct. 2025?
4.50 in., softball size, reported in 4 different years; most recently on June 12, 2022 in Pennington County, per NCEI. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 15 years of this record in all, most recently 2019, 2023 and 2024.
Which year had the most storm days near Rapid City, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2013 and 2019 tied, with 31 storm days each. The 15-year average is 24 storm days.
How many hail reports does Rapid City see in a typical year?
About 92 hail reports a year (2010–2024 average), with 1-inch or larger hail reported every year. Thunderstorm wind averages 32 reports a year.
What month has the most hail near Rapid City?
July has the most hail reports (509, 2010–Oct. 2025), followed by June (426) and August (255).
What is the strongest measured thunderstorm gust near Rapid City, 2010–Oct. 2025?
89 mph, measured on July 27, 2011 in Pennington County. Only gusts NCEI lists as measured count here; gusts measured on a date and county with a tornado entry, and entries of 120 knots or more (known entry errors), are left out.
Rapid City hail map and wind map
Researching hail or wind in Rapid City? The Hail Explorer and Wind Explorer map radar-derived hail swaths and peak-gust wind swaths across South Dakota, including the Rapid City metro: pick any storm date and see how estimated hail size and gust bands tracked through Pennington County. Both explorers are included with Pro+ and Organization plans.
County-level activity is on the Impact Heatmap (free with an account), and day-by-day history is on the Storm Calendar (Pro plans and higher).
Free Rapid City weather report by address
Area maps show where storms tracked; an insurance claim or roof inspection turns on what happened at the property. Three ways to check one Rapid City address:
- The Free Report Snapshot answers YES/NO instantly on estimated wind of 45 mph or more and hail of 0.75 in. or larger (screening thresholds) at the address.
- The free Address Lookup lists NWS warnings, storm reports and NOAA observations near the address — free Rapid City wind history and free Rapid City hail history.
- A complete Weather Report for $2.99 covers every qualifying storm date at one address over the last 2 years.
All values are estimates from public NOAA data under our published methodology (see Limitations).
Storm professionals: restoration and exterior contractors, public adjusters, and crews and teams on one Organization plan work from this same public record — see StormAuditor for professionals.
Sources: NWS alerts (api.weather.gov) · NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · ASOS/AWOS station gusts via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · every StormAuditor data source.
Free Rapid City storm data download
The Rapid City storm records for the last 12 months download free, free to reuse under the data license: download CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-data/sd/rapid-city.json.
- Coverage: every wind and hail record within about 25 miles of Rapid City or recorded for Pennington County, with dates, counties, event types, measured gusts and hail sizes.
- Rows: each source record before consolidation, including every NWS warning product and smaller storm reports, so the row count differs from the event counts above.
- Statewide files are on the South Dakota storm data page.
Nearby city storm pages:
Guides for reading this data
Cite or link to this data — free
Free to quote, summarize, reuse, and link — for bloggers, journalists, researchers, contractors, and AI writing tools. No permission or credit required. A ready-made citation and link are below if they help. Terms: StormAuditor data & content license.
Citation: StormAuditor. "Rapid City, SD Hail & Wind Storm History." Updated September 14, 2026. https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/sd/rapid-city
HTML link: <a href="https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/sd/rapid-city">Rapid City, SD Hail & Wind Storm History — StormAuditor</a>
About this page: built by Storm Auditor LLC from public NOAA/NWS records — deduplicated warnings, storm reports, station measurements, and official records on a rolling 12-month window, under the published methodology. See the StormAuditor Editorial Team for how content is produced.
Data last refreshed October 7, 2026. Event counts cover wind and hail (warning products, and storm reports from 50 mph or 0.75 in.); flood activity and Special Weather Statements are not counted here.