National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

January 6, 2012 - Very warm air over the northern Plains shattered high temperature records during the first week of January.  Temperatures warmed from the middle 50s to lower 60s on Tuesday, January 3 into the 60s to mid 70s by Thursday, January 5.  Four stations set all-time monthly high temperatures for January.  While neither Rapid City station reached their warmest January day, both the stations recorded the earliest 70 degrees, three days ahead of the previous date of January 8, 2002, when the NWS office reached 73 degrees and the airport had a maximum of 72 degrees.  New daily and previous records:

Tuesday, Jan 3:
Badlands Nat'l Park  60    59 in 2003
Faith Airport        58    57 in 2007
Pine Ridge Airport   57    tied 2003
Rapid City Reg Arpt  61    59 in 2003
Winner Airport       62    59 in 2003

Wednesday, Jan 4:
Bison                56    54 in 2008
Buffalo              57    54 in 2008
Cottonwood           64    62 in 2003
Custer Co Airport    52    49 in 2001
Faith Airport        59    55 in 2008
Fort Meade           63    61 in 2001
Lemmon               56    tied 2008
Milesville           60    55 in 1987
Mission              61    58 in 2003
Mission 14S          61    60 in 2003
Opal                 58    53 in 2003
Oral                 61    tied 2003
Philip Airport       62    57 in 2001
Pine Ridge Airport   56    54 in 2001
Porcupine            62    61 in 2003
Rapid City NWS       63    60 in 1935
Rapid City Reg Arpt  62    61 in 2001
Winner Airport       61    54 in 2008
Gillette             51    tied 1958
Gillette Airport     51    47 in 2001

Thursday, Jan 5:
Ardmore              60    59 in 1930
Badlands Nat'l Park  71    56 in 2001; warmest Jan day; previous record 69 on Jan 2, 1998
Bison                58    50 in 1958
Buffalo              59    52 in 2001
Camp Crook           61    55 in 1903
Cottonwood           60    tied 1987
Custer Co Airport    58    52 in 2001
Faith Airport        63    52 in 2008
Fort Meade           71    62 in 2001; second warmest Jan day; record is 72 on Jan 12, 1987
Hot Springs          62    61 in 1930
Lead                 61    55 in 2001
Milesville           68    tied 1953; second warmest Jan day; record is 69 on Jan 12, 1987
Mission              60    56 in 1987
Mount Rushmore       63    56 in 2001
Opal                 61    55 in 2008
Pactola              56    55 in 1984
Philip Airport       74    57 in 1983; warmest Jan day; previous record 73 on Jan 8, 2002
Pine Ridge Airport   62    57 in 2002
Rapid City NWS       71    60 in 2008; second warmest Jan day; record is 73 on Jan 8, 2002
Rapid City Reg Arpt  73    60 in 2008; third warmest Jan day; record is 76 on Jan 12, 1987
Winner               63    59 in 1956
Winner Airport       70    57 in 2008
Gillette Airport     54    53 in 2006

Friday, January 6:
Cottonwood           73    65 in 1954 warmest Jan day; previous record 72 on Jan 9, 2002
Edgemont             60    48 in 1992
Hill City            68    55 in 2006; warmest Jan day; previous record 66 on Jan 7, 2003
Mission              67    54 in 2008
Mission 14S          68    61 in 1954
Opal                 64    54 in 2001
Oral                 65    56 in 1984
Porcupine            67    56 in 2001; second warmest Jan day; record 69 on Jan 23, 1981
Pactola              66    58 in 2001; second warmest Jan day; record 68 on Jan 24, 1981
Newcastle            55    53 in 1954