From December through March, the Rapid City area enjoys unique climate in (as natives refer to it) “the Banana Belt.” While the thermometer may sometimes dip below zero, average daytime temperatures are usually in the 30s. Located in a protected area surrounded by high hills, most of the storms are diverted to the plains east of our community or stay in the high country. A good example is a Rapid City winter compared with the ski, snowmobile, and winter sports area located in the northern Black Hills at elevations over a mile high up to 7,000 feet(Rapid City’s elevation is 3,250 feet above sea level.) That elevation difference often enables Rapid Citians to play golf after skiing or wash cars in their driveways in the winter. Generally, any snow usually melts in a few days. The Black Hills winter weather offers a broad variety of options and activity choices. In summary, the northwestern hills are the high country, and the eastern slope has more moderate weather.

April through mid-June is a magnificent time as the ground warms and any snow melts to feed the streams and lakes and revive the flowers, grasses, and deciduous trees. The pines and spruce do well in every season. It’s a time of beautiful rebirth with temperatures normally from 40 to 80 degrees with cool evenings for your walks, a ride on the bike path, or your early yard work.

From late June through mid-September is the time for Black Hills touring and summer projects with temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees (sometimes warmer). Our summer winds and rains are cooling. As we enjoy this time, we consider that it’s like living in a park with camping, water sports, golf, hiking, and more. (Check out our site, www.blackhillsmaps.com, to find the Michelson Trail and others.) The summer weather is another great time to enjoy a world of tourist adventures.

Last, but not least, fall is late September through November with beautiful colors on the plants and trees in all areas and especially in the high country. We have warm days and cool evenings at a time when tourists are drifting away and the hills are all ours again. Around Labor Day in September, it starts to cool more with high temperatures in the 60s and 70s and ever cooler evenings.

So, as the question was put to Mr. Natural (in another time and place), “What’s it all mean?” The Black Hills area (really mountains), the beautiful Paha Sapa in the middle of North America, is more than a place. It’s a treasured lifestyle.