As of Oct 13, 2026, the latest day this station has reported
How much rain has Pennington County, South Dakota, had in 2026?
11.25 inches of rain have fallen so far in 2026 at the weather station at Rapid City Regional Airport, Pennington County, through Oct 13. That is 4.67 inches less than a usual year to date (71% of usual).
- Rain so far
- 11.25 in
- Usual by Oct 13
- 15.92 in
- Percent of usual
- 71%
- 2025 by Oct 13
- 17.06 in
This is Pennington County’s 2026 so far, drawn as a Rain Print. Put your name and dates on it: framed $89, print $45.Get Pennington County’s 2026 rain and snow drawn as a Rain Print, with your name and dates: framed $89, print $45. Make yours
Prints of 2026 ship in January, once the full year is in.
Want another year, like the drought or the year you married? Rainfall art of any town and year.
Month by month
| Month | Rain, in | Usual, in | Vs usual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.16 | 0.31 | −0.15 |
| Feb | 0.06 | 0.50 | −0.44 |
| Mar | 0.36 | 0.91 | −0.55 |
| Apr | 1.13 | 2.08 | −0.95 |
| May | 3.85 | 3.45 | +0.40 |
| Jun | 0.53 | 2.87 | −2.34 |
| Jul | 1.36 | 2.28 | −0.92 |
| Aug | 2.17 | 1.59 | +0.58 |
| Sep | 1.53 | 1.22 | +0.31 |
| Oct to the 13th | 0.10 | 0.71 | −0.61 |
| So far | 11.25 | 15.92 | −4.67 |
2026 so far in Pennington County
- Wettest month: May, 3.85 inches.
- Biggest single day: 1.84 inches on May 21.
- Longest dry stretch: 12 days in a row with the gauge at zero, Sep 29 to Oct 10.
- 2025 by the same date: 17.06 inches at the same station (it missed 1 day). On the 285 days both years reported, 2026 had 5.81 inches less than 2025.
The station, and what usual means
The numbers come from NOAA’s daily record for the station at Rapid City Regional Airport (station ID 24090), 12 miles from the middle of Pennington County. It reported every one of the 286 days from Jan 1 to Oct 13. Rain here means everything the gauge caught: rain, and snow melted down to water. A trace counts as zero.
Usual means NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 daily normals for this station, added up over the same 286 days the station reported, so a missing day counts on neither side.
Why this station: 22 stations inside Pennington County reported at least 90% of the days in 2026. Mountain snow sites, and stations far above the rest in the county, come last, since their rain is not what the farms below get. Then the pick goes to one with NOAA normals, then the most days reported, then the one nearest the middle of the county. Your own rain gauge can read differently a few miles away.
Questions
How much rain has Pennington County, South Dakota, had in 2026?
11.25 inches of rain have fallen so far in 2026 at the weather station at Rapid City Regional Airport, Pennington County, through Oct 13. That is 4.67 inches less than a usual year to date (71% of usual).
Is Pennington County wetter or drier than usual in 2026?
Drier so far. The weather station at Rapid City Regional Airport had 11.25 inches from Jan 1 to Oct 13, 71% of the usual 15.92 inches for the same days.
What was the wettest month in Pennington County in 2026?
May, with 3.85 inches at the weather station at Rapid City Regional Airport, counting Jan 1 through Oct 13.
What was the biggest rain in Pennington County in 2026?
1.84 inches on May 21, 2026, the most the gauge caught in one day this year through Oct 13.
How does 2026 compare with 2025 in Pennington County?
From Jan 1 to Oct 13, the weather station at Rapid City Regional Airport had 17.06 inches in 2025 (2025 missed 1 day) and 11.25 inches in 2026. On the 285 days both years reported, 2026 had 5.81 inches less than 2025.
Next door
- Custer County 17.07 in, 94%
- Haakon County 13.20 in, 74%
- Jackson County 15.94 in, 89%
- Lawrence County 17.32 in, 65%
Rain in South Dakota, county by county · PRF insurance in Pennington County · Farmland Atlas: Pennington County