Temperature Records Shattered
The Rapid City Regional Airport and downtown National Weather Service office both set record high temperatures March 12. The airport reached 82 degrees, breaking the previous record of 68 degrees set in 1979 and tying March’s all-time record high last set March 26, 1993. The National Weather Service’s new record high was 79 degrees, exceeding the 1933 reading of 71 degrees.
Many other locations around the region also set daily record highs, with some readings setting or tying March records. They include:
Location New Record Old Record/Year
Western South Dakota
10 SW Maurine 83 70/1990...New March record...previous record 80 set March 18, 1986
5NE Milesville 83 66/1983...Tied March record high set March 29, 1967
Dupree 81 70/1934
Faith 81 68/1934
Fort Meade 81 72/1903
Oelrichs 81 80/1995
Winner 81 75/1945
Long Valley 80 71/1979
Spearfish 79 75/1995
Hot Springs 78 72/1933
Camp Crook 76 68/1935
Lemmon 75 64/1945
Mount Rushmore 72 63/1979
Lead 70 63/1916
Custer 69 64/1995
Northeastern Wyoming
4SE Gillette 78 71/1916
Devils Tower 77 72/1995
Sundance 77 67/1916...tied March record high set March 31, 2004
Newcastle 76 73/1995
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