Current weather · Oct 1, 6:04 AM MDT
44.2430, -105.5390
50°
- High
- 68°
- Low
- 47°
- Rain today
- 6%
- Sunrise
- 7:00 AM
- Sunset
- 6:43 PM
Hour by hour
NWS forecast gridScroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.
Every hour as a table48 hours
| Time | Weather | Temperature | Feels like | Dew point | Humidity | Chance | Amount | Snow | Dir | Wind | Gust | Sky cover | Thunder | Pressure | Visibility | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 6 AM | 50° | 44° | 44° | 80% | 1% | NE | 8 mph | 20 mph | 65% | — | — | |||||
| Thu 7 AM | 49° | 43° | 44° | 82% | 1% | ENE | 8 mph | 17 mph | 74% | — | — | |||||
| Thu 8 AM | 51° | 46° | 45° | 79% | 1% | E | 8 mph | 18 mph | 60% | — | — | |||||
| Thu 9 AM | 53° | 51° | 45° | 74% | 2% | ESE | 8 mph | 17 mph | 40% | — | — | |||||
| Thu 10 AM | 55° | 54° | 45° | 67% | 2% | SE | 9 mph | 20 mph | 27% | — | — | |||||
| Thu 11 AM | 58° | 58° | 44° | 60% | 2% | SSE | 10 mph | 23 mph | 25% | — | — | |||||
| Thu 12 PM | 62° | 62° | 45° | 54% | 2% | S | 10 mph | 25 mph | 25% | 1% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 1 PM | 63° | 63° | 45° | 52% | 2% | S | 10 mph | 25 mph | 25% | 1% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 2 PM | 66° | 66° | 45° | 47% | 2% | S | 9 mph | 25 mph | 25% | 1% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 3 PM | 67° | 67° | 45° | 45% | 6% | S | 9 mph | 24 mph | 29% | 3% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 4 PM | 66° | 66° | 45° | 47% | 6% | SSE | 8 mph | 25 mph | 28% | 3% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 5 PM | 64° | 64° | 45° | 50% | 6% | E | 8 mph | 25 mph | 43% | 3% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 6 PM | 64° | 64° | 43° | 46% | 3% | SE | 16 mph | 28 mph | 38% | 3% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 7 PM | 61° | 61° | 42° | 50% | 3% | SE | 16 mph | 29 mph | 42% | 3% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 8 PM | 56° | 56° | 41° | 57% | 3% | SE | 17 mph | 31 mph | 43% | 3% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 9 PM | 54° | 54° | 40° | 59% | 3% | SE | 18 mph | 33 mph | 46% | 2% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 10 PM | 52° | 52° | 39° | 61% | 3% | SE | 18 mph | 35 mph | 47% | 2% | — | — | ||||
| Thu 11 PM | 51° | 51° | 39° | 63% | 3% | SE | 18 mph | 35 mph | 41% | 2% | — | — | ||||
| Fri 12 AM | 49° | 43° | 38° | 66% | 1% | SSE | 18 mph | 35 mph | 44% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 1 AM | 48° | 41° | 37° | 65% | 1% | SSE | 18 mph | 36 mph | 46% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 2 AM | 48° | 41° | 37° | 65% | 1% | SSE | 18 mph | 35 mph | 41% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 3 AM | 46° | 39° | 37° | 71% | 1% | SSE | 18 mph | 35 mph | 41% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 4 AM | 46° | 38° | 37° | 71% | 1% | SSE | 20 mph | 36 mph | 48% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 5 AM | 45° | 37° | 37° | 73% | 1% | S | 20 mph | 36 mph | 25% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 6 AM | 45° | 37° | 38° | 76% | 0% | S | 18 mph | 35 mph | 25% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 7 AM | 44° | 36° | 39° | 82% | 0% | S | 17 mph | 32 mph | 41% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 8 AM | 46° | 39° | 41° | 83% | 0% | S | 17 mph | 30 mph | 32% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 9 AM | 49° | 43° | 42° | 77% | 0% | S | 16 mph | 28 mph | 25% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 10 AM | 56° | 56° | 44° | 64% | 0% | S | 15 mph | 25 mph | 13% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 11 AM | 63° | 63° | 45° | 52% | 0% | S | 13 mph | 23 mph | 6% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 12 PM | 68° | 68° | 45° | 44% | 0% | S | 12 mph | 22 mph | 1% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 1 PM | 72° | 72° | 44° | 37% | 0% | S | 10 mph | 21 mph | 7% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 2 PM | 75° | 75° | 42° | 31% | 0% | S | 8 mph | 20 mph | 8% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 3 PM | 76° | 76° | 41° | 28% | 0% | S | 7 mph | 20 mph | 7% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 4 PM | 77° | 77° | 40° | 26% | 0% | E | 7 mph | 20 mph | 14% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 5 PM | 76° | 76° | 39° | 26% | 0% | ENE | 7 mph | 20 mph | 5% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 6 PM | 74° | 74° | 41° | 30% | 0% | ENE | 8 mph | 20 mph | 13% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 7 PM | 69° | 69° | 41° | 36% | 0% | E | 8 mph | 18 mph | 29% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 8 PM | 64° | 64° | 42° | 45% | 0% | E | 8 mph | 17 mph | 27% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 9 PM | 59° | 59° | 43° | 55% | 0% | ESE | 7 mph | 15 mph | 25% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 10 PM | 57° | 57° | 43° | 59% | 0% | ESE | 6 mph | 13 mph | 23% | — | — | |||||
| Fri 11 PM | 55° | 55° | 43° | 64% | 0% | SSE | 5 mph | 12 mph | 22% | — | — | |||||
| Sat 12 AM | 55° | 55° | 42° | 61% | 0% | SSE | 5 mph | 10 mph | 20% | — | — | |||||
| Sat 1 AM | 54° | 54° | 41° | 61% | 0% | S | 5 mph | 10 mph | 20% | — | — | |||||
| Sat 2 AM | 53° | 53° | 41° | 64% | 0% | SSW | 5 mph | 10 mph | 20% | — | — | |||||
| Sat 3 AM | 52° | 52° | 40° | 63% | 0% | SSW | 6 mph | 12 mph | 20% | — | — | |||||
| Sat 4 AM | 51° | 51° | 39° | 63% | 0% | SW | 6 mph | 13 mph | 20% | — | — | |||||
| Sat 5 AM | 50° | 47° | 38° | 63% | 0% | W | 7 mph | 14 mph | 20% | — | — |
The next 16 days
NWS grid published Oct 1, 5:11 AM MDT to day 8, the mean of GFS, GEFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16- TodayOct 168°47°Mostly Sunnywind 18 mph · gusts 35 mph
- FriOct 278°49°Sunnywind 20 mph · gusts 36 mph
- SatOct 370°43°Sunnywind 20 mph · gusts 31 mph
- SunOct 473°48°Sunnywind 17 mph · gusts 31 mph
- MonOct 581°54°Sunnywind 15 mph · gusts 30 mph
- TueOct 676°49°Mostly Sunnywind 10 mph · gusts 22 mph
- WedOct 774°49°Sunnywind 8 mph · gusts 20 mph
- ThuOct 876°50°wind 7 mph · gusts 18 mph
- FriOct 9~80°56°Model mean
- SatOct 10~76°54°Model mean
- SunOct 11~48°37°Model mean
- MonOct 12~56°36°Model mean
- TueOct 13~68°44°Model mean
- WedOct 14~59°41°Model mean
- ThuOct 15~71°48°Model mean
- FriOct 16~71°49°Model mean
Right now
NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow- Feels like44°
- WindNE 8 mphgusts 20 mph
- Radar over this pointno reading
- Humidity80%
- Dew point44°
- Pressure—
- UV index—
- Air quality—
- Visibility—
- Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset · not yet up
- Moonrise9:31 PMMoonset 1:15 PM
- Moon phaseWaning gibbous73% lit
The models, side by side
HRRR Oct 1, 12:00 AM MDT · GFS Oct 1, 12:00 AM MDT · GEFS Sep 30, 6:00 PM MDT · ECMWF Sep 30, 6:00 PM MDT · ECMWF AI Sep 30, 6:00 PM MDTEach line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.
| Day | NWS grid | HRRR | GFS | GEFS | ECMWF | ECMWF AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today Oct 1 | 68° 47° | 67° 44° | 69° 49° | 65° 50° | ~62° 53° | ~57° 57° |
| Fri Oct 2 | 78° 49° | 76° 44° | 80° 49° | 77° 50° | 78° 45° | ~72° 43° |
| Sat Oct 3 | 70° 43° | ~56° 56° | 66° 54° | 66° 55° | ~64° 54° | ~66° 49° |
| Sun Oct 4 | 73° 48° | — | 74° 50° | 73° 50° | 74° 50° | ~72° 45° |
| Mon Oct 5 | 81° 54° | — | 85° 55° | 83° 53° | ~85° 68° | ~78° 49° |
| Tue Oct 6 | 76° 49° | — | 78° 61° | 77° 61° | 80° 59° | ~75° 55° |
| Wed Oct 7 | 74° 49° | — | 75° 49° | 76° 53° | ~74° 56° | ~73° 49° |
| Thu Oct 8 | 76° 50° | — | 82° 54° | 80° 55° | ~78° 53° | ~74° 48° |
| Fri Oct 9 | — | — | 84° 61° | 79° 59° | ~79° 54° | ~76° 51° |
| Sat Oct 10 | — | — | 79° 47° | 68° 53° | ~79° 63° | ~59° 42°0.27 in |
| Sun Oct 11 | — | — | ~54° 37° | — | ~52° 47°0.22 in | ~38° 29° |
| Mon Oct 12 | — | — | ~65° 41° | — | ~60° 38° | ~44° 29° |
| Tue Oct 13 | — | — | ~71° 55° | — | ~74° 47° | ~60° 31° |
| Wed Oct 14 | — | — | ~70° 51° | — | ~46° 38° | ~60° 34° |
| Thu Oct 15 | — | — | ~74° 58° | — | ~56° 33° | ~67° 38° |
| Fri Oct 16 | — | — | ~71° 49° | — | — | — |
A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.
ECMWF ensemble meteogram
The next 90 days
NOAA GHCN normals and records at Gillette (GCC) · Climate Prediction Center outlooksNo forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.
The forecast reaches Fri Oct 16, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.
Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and low
| Week of | Normal | Warmest on record | Coldest on record | Temperature lean | Precipitation lean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 | 63° / 36° | 91° (2011) | 15° (2005) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Oct 8 | 58° / 33° | 87° (2020) | 7° (2009) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Oct 15 | 61° / 33° | 84° (2024) | 20° (1999) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Oct 22 | 56° / 28° | 82° (2003) | -10° (2020) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Oct 29 | 51° / 29° | 75° (2020) | -4° (2019) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Nov 5 | 54° / 25° | 76° (2020) | -11° (2000) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Nov 12 | 48° / 22° | 76° (1999) | -15° (2014) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Nov 19 | 45° / 20° | 67° (2012) | -16° (2010) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Nov 26 | 39° / 17° | 75° (2021) | -13° (2025) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Dec 3 | 37° / 14° | 66° (2020) | -22° (2005) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Dec 10 | 40° / 16° | 65° (2014) | -21° (2008) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Dec 17 | 39° / 16° | 62° (2024) | -29° (2022) | no outlook | no outlook |
| Dec 24 | 35° / 16° | 65° (2025) | -16° (2014) | no outlook | no outlook |
Health and activities
Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollenNone of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.
Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.
Health
- Arthritisnext 24 hLowsteady conditions
- Sinus pressurenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
- Common coldtodayLowmild
- FlutodayLowmild
- Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
- Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
- Heat stresstodayLowmild
- SunburntodayLowweak sun
- Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
- SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night
Outdoors
- RunningtodayIdealfine conditions
- HikingtodayIdealfine conditions
- BikingtodayIdealfine conditions
- GolftodayIdealfine conditions
- FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
- Boating and paddlingtodayGoodwind
- Beach and pooltodayGoodcool
- CampingtonightIdealfine conditions
- StargazingtonightPoormostly cloudy
Travel
- Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
- Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads
Home and garden
- Lawn mowingtodayIdealfine conditions
- GardeningtodayIdealfine conditions
- Outdoor entertainingtodayIdealfine conditions
- Drying laundry outsidetodayIdealfine conditions
- Painting and outdoor projectstodayIdealfine conditions
- FrosttonightLowmild
Pests
- MosquitoestodayModeratewarm
- TickstodayHighwarm
- Indoor pestsnext 24 hHighcool nights, warm days
- Outdoor peststodayLowcool
Stargazing
Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moonTonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated poor.
| Night of | Rating | Dark | Clear hours | Clear and moonless | Moon lit | Transparency (est.) | Dew | Strongest wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Poor | 8:19 PM to 5:25 AM | 0 of 9 | None | 70% | 20 mph | ||
| Friday | Fair | 8:17 PM to 5:26 AM | 5 of 9 | None | 60% | Good | 8 mph | |
| Saturday | Fair | 8:15 PM to 5:27 AM | 3 of 9 | 2 h from 8:00 PM | 49% | Good | 10 mph | |
| Sunday | Excellent | 8:13 PM to 5:29 AM | 9 of 9 | 5 h from 8:00 PM | 39% | Good | 16 mph | |
| Monday | Poor | 8:12 PM to 5:30 AM | 0 of 10 | None | 28% | 7 mph | ||
| Tuesday | Excellent | 8:10 PM to 5:31 AM | 4 of 10 | 4 h from 8:00 PM | 19% | Good | 7 mph | |
| Wednesday | Excellent | 8:08 PM to 5:32 AM | 4 of 10 | 4 h from 8:00 PM | 12% | Good | 7 mph |
Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.
Golden hour and blue hour
Computed from the sun and moon positions| Day | Blue hour, morning | Golden hour, morning | Golden hour, evening | Blue hour, evening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu | 6:31 AM to 6:42 AM | 6:42 AM to 7:39 AM | 6:04 PM to 7:00 PM | 7:00 PM to 7:11 PM |
| Fri | 6:32 AM to 6:44 AM | 6:44 AM to 7:40 AM | 6:02 PM to 6:58 PM | 6:58 PM to 7:10 PM |
| Sat | 6:34 AM to 6:45 AM | 6:45 AM to 7:41 AM | 6:00 PM to 6:57 PM | 6:57 PM to 7:08 PM |
| Sun | 6:35 AM to 6:46 AM | 6:46 AM to 7:42 AM | 5:59 PM to 6:55 PM | 6:55 PM to 7:06 PM |
| Mon | 6:36 AM to 6:47 AM | 6:47 AM to 7:44 AM | 5:57 PM to 6:53 PM | 6:53 PM to 7:04 PM |
| Tue | 6:37 AM to 6:48 AM | 6:48 AM to 7:45 AM | 5:55 PM to 6:51 PM | 6:51 PM to 7:02 PM |
| Wed | 6:38 AM to 6:50 AM | 6:50 AM to 7:46 AM | 5:53 PM to 6:50 PM | 6:50 PM to 7:01 PM |
- SR Sunrise 7:00 AM, 94° E
- SS Sunset 6:43 PM, 266° W
- MR Moonrise 9:31 PM, 49° NE
- MS Moonset 1:15 PM, 310° NW
- Waning gibbous, 73% lit
Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.
Drone flying
NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107This hour: fly with caution (gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)). No stretch of two good hours in the next three days.
Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:30 AM to sunrise 7:00 AM, and sunset 6:43 PM to 7:13 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.
| Thu | 6 AM | 12 PM | 6 PM | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 12 AM | 6 AM | 12 PM | 6 PM | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sat | 12 AM | 6 AM | 12 PM | 6 PM |
Good Caution No-fly
| Hour | Verdict | Wind (mph) | 400 ft est. (mph) | Gust (mph) | Rain | Visibility | Cloud allows | Temp | Kp | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 6 AM | Caution | 8 | 12 | 23 | 1% | 50° | gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Thu 7 AM | Caution | 8 | 10 | 20 | 1% | 49° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 8 AM | Caution | 8 | 10 | 21 | 1% | 51° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 9 AM | Caution | 8 | 10 | 20 | 2% | 53° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 10 AM | Caution | 9 | 12 | 22 | 2% | 55° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 11 AM | No-fly | 10 | 12 | 25 | 2% | 58° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 12 PM | No-fly | 10 | 12 | 27 | 2% | 62° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 1 PM | No-fly | 10 | 12 | 27 | 2% | 63° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 2 PM | No-fly | 9 | 11 | 27 | 2% | 66° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 3 PM | No-fly | 9 | 12 | 27 | 6% | 67° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 4 PM | No-fly | 8 | 10 | 28 | 6% | 66° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 5 PM | No-fly | 8 | 10 | 28 | 6% | 64° | gusts near or over your limit | |||
| Thu 6 PM | No-fly | 16 | 23 | 35 | 3% | 64° | gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, civil twilight: lighting required (107.29) | |||
| Thu 7 PM | No-fly | 16 | 23 | 36 | 3% | 61° | gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Thu 8 PM | No-fly | 17 | 25 | 39 | 3% | 56° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Thu 9 PM | No-fly | 18 | 27 | 42 | 3% | 54° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Thu 10 PM | No-fly | 18 | 27 | 43 | 3% | 52° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Thu 11 PM | No-fly | 18 | 27 | 43 | 3% | 51° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Fri 12 AM | No-fly | 18 | 27 | 43 | 1% | 49° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Fri 1 AM | No-fly | 18 | 27 | 44 | 1% | 48° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Fri 2 AM | No-fly | 18 | 27 | 43 | 1% | 48° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Fri 3 AM | No-fly | 18 | 27 | 43 | 1% | 46° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Fri 4 AM | No-fly | 20 | 28 | 45 | 1% | 46° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) | |||
| Fri 5 AM | No-fly | 20 | 28 | 45 | 1% | 45° | wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, ground wind near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29) |
Flight restrictions nearby
Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.
Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.
Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.
Spraying and field work
Worked out from the NWS hourly forecastHours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.
Spraying windows
- Fri 9 PM to Sat 6 AM 9 hours, every hour within the rules
- Sat 11 PM to Sun 2 AM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
- Mon 8 PM to Tue 9 AM 13 hours, some with delta T between 8 and 10 °C
- Tue 8 PM to Wed 11 AM 15 hours, every hour within the rules
- Wed 8 PM to Thu 10 AM 14 hours, every hour within the rules
| Thu | 6 AM | 12 PM | 6 PM | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 12 AM | 6 AM | 12 PM | 6 PM | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sat | 12 AM | 6 AM | 12 PM | 6 PM | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sun | 12 AM | 6 AM | 12 PM | 6 PM |
Good Marginal No
Field days
| Day | Daytime | Chance of rain | Rain | Lowest humidity | Strongest wind | Dry days in a row | Hay drying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Dry | 6% | 0.00 in | 45% | 16 mph | 8 d | Good |
| Friday | Dry | 0% | 0.00 in | 26% | 17 mph | 7 d | Good |
| Saturday | Dry | 0% | 0.00 in | 36% | 20 mph | 6 d | Good |
| Sunday | Dry | 0% | 0.00 in | 35% | 17 mph | 5 d | Good |
| Monday | Dry | 1% | 0.00 in | 16% | 10 mph | 4 d | Good |
| Tuesday | Dry | 1% | 0.00 in | 23% | 10 mph | 3 d | Good |
| Wednesday | Dry | 0% | 0.00 in | 25% | 8 mph | 2 d | Good |
| Thursday | Dry | 0% | 0.00 in | 23% | 7 mph | 1 d | Good |
Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.
Solunar times
Computed from the moon’s positionThe best-rated day this week is Wednesday, rated good.
| Day | Rating | Major periods | Minor periods | Moon | Sunrise, sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu | Fair | 3:53 AM to 5:53 AM4:24 PM to 6:24 PM | 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM9:01 PM to 10:01 PM | 73% | 7:00 AM, 6:43 PM |
| Fri | Fair | 4:55 AM to 6:55 AM5:27 PM to 7:27 PM | 1:50 PM to 2:50 PM10:06 PM to 11:06 PM | 63% | 7:01 AM, 6:41 PM |
| Sat | Fair | 5:58 AM to 7:58 AM6:28 PM to 8:28 PM | 2:42 PM to 3:42 PM11:20 PM to 12:20 AM | 53% | 7:02 AM, 6:39 PM |
| Sun | Fair | 6:58 AM to 8:58 AM7:26 PM to 9:26 PM | 3:22 PM to 4:22 PM | 42% | 7:04 AM, 6:37 PM |
| Mon | Fair | 7:53 AM to 9:53 AM8:20 PM to 10:20 PM | 12:39 AM to 1:39 AM3:53 PM to 4:53 PM | 32% | 7:05 AM, 6:35 PM |
| Tue | Poor | 8:45 AM to 10:45 AM9:09 PM to 11:09 PM | 1:57 AM to 2:57 AM4:18 PM to 5:18 PM | 22% | 7:06 AM, 6:34 PM |
| Wed | Good | 9:33 AM to 11:33 AM9:56 PM to 11:56 PM | 3:13 AM to 4:13 AM4:39 PM to 5:39 PM | 14% | 7:07 AM, 6:32 PM |
Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index
Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.
In words
NWS forecast periods, as issuedToday68° · 6% · SE 10 mph
Mostly sunny. High near 68, with temperatures falling to around 64 in the afternoon. Southeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight43° · 3% · SE 16–20 mph
Partly cloudy. Low around 43, with temperatures rising to around 45 overnight. Southeast wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.
Friday78° · SE 7–18 mph
Sunny. High near 78, with temperatures falling to around 76 in the afternoon. Southeast wind 7 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
Friday Night49° · SE 5–8 mph
Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday70° · NW 8–20 mph
Sunny. High near 70, with temperatures falling to around 67 in the afternoon. Northwest wind 8 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
Saturday Night43° · E 6–14 mph
Mostly clear. Low around 43, with temperatures rising to around 45 overnight. East wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Sunday73° · SE 13–17 mph
Sunny, with a high near 73.
Sunday Night48° · SE 12–16 mph
Clear, with a low around 48.
Monday81° · SW 3–10 mph
Sunny, with a high near 81.
Monday Night54° · 1% · SW 3–7 mph
Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Tuesday76° · NW 7–10 mph
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Tuesday Night49° · 1% · E 7 mph
Mostly clear, with a low around 49.
Wednesday74° · W 8 mph
Sunny, with a high near 74.
Wednesday Night49° · SE 7 mph
Mostly clear, with a low around 49.
The forecaster’s discussion
NWS Rapid City, SD · issued Oct 1, 5:36 AM MDTWritten by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.
KEY Messages
Near or slightly above normal through the forecast period.
Mostly dry conditions expected the remainder of the week.
Update
925 PM MDT Wed Sep 30 2026
Satellite shows tropical remnants spinning over the southern Great Plains and shedding thick clouds over most of South Dakota. Surface analysis depicts a weak cold front positioned from the southern Black Hills to the northeast corner of SD, bringing temps in the low 50s to the region tonight. No changes are needed for the forecast. Precip chances remain low and focused over the Black Hills and far northwestern SD. Clouds will linger well into Thursday and keep temps in the 60s.
Discussion
227 PM MDT Wed Sep 30 2026
(This Evening Through Wednesday)
Current Water Vapor and upper air models show near zonal flow aloft, with an upper low located over the four corners region. 20Z surface analysis shows high pressure centered over Wyoming this afternoon Satellite has some mid and high clouds reaching into southwest and south central SD. Temperatures sit in the upper 60s and 70s, with generally light winds out of the northwest. Little change to the overall pattern is expected through the week, with near-zonal to northwest flow aloft hanging around. Mostly dry conditions are expected as well. A cold front is expected Thursday, dropping temperatures 15-20 degrees from today. Limited moisture with this disturbance, but some light precipitation will be possible Thursday into Thursday night. Temperatures then warm up a bit for the first half of the weekend before another boundary cools the region down again on Sunday. Once again, with limited moisture advection, expect little to no precipitation over the weekend. Early next week the upper ridge builds over the western CONUS, prompting a rise in temperatures to the 70s and low 80s for much of next week.
Aviation
526 AM MDT Thu Oct 1 2026
(For the 12Z TAFS Through 12Z Friday Morning)
Light showers and overcast skies expected to continue to develop over the region through this morning. Scattered MVFR/LCL IFR CIGs may develop, especially over the Black Hills into northeastern WY. Conditions will improve by the afternoon into the evening hours. Winds expected to increase from the SE this evening, especially across northeastern WY and southwestern SD where gusts of 25-30KT are expected.
UNR Watches / Warnings / Advisories
SD...None. WY...None.
The outlooks beyond
SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this pointThe national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.
Reading the outlooks…
Frost and climate
NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Gillette 4SEThe last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around May 15 and the first fall freeze around October 1: a growing season of about 136 days.
One fall in ten brings a freeze by September 15; one spring in ten still has one after May 27.
Everything else on the grid
NWS forecast grid · 23 elementsThe forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.
| Element | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HeatRisk max | 0 · Little | 1 · Minor | 0 · Little | 1 · Minor | 1 · Minor | 1 · Minor | 1 · Minor | 1 · Minor |
| Wet bulb globe temperature max | 61° | 66° | 60° | 63° | 67° | 64° | 63° | 65° |
| Heat index max | 77° | 73° | 79° | 75° | 73° | 75° | ||
| Wind chill min | 43° | 36° | 47° | 39° | 46° | |||
| Chance of thunder max | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Snow level min | 10,900 ft | 11,000 ft | 10,200 ft | 10,200 ft | 10,800 ft | 10,700 ft | 10,300 ft | 10,400 ft |
| Mixing height max | 5,200 ft | 7,700 ft | 5,900 ft | 600 ft | ||||
| Transport wind max | 33 mph | 33 mph | 30 mph | 26 mph |
Against the record
NOAA GHCN · Gillette (GCC) · 7.3 mi awayEach forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.
| Day | Forecast | Normal | Record high | Record low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu Oct 1 | 68° / 47° | 66° / 40° | 91° (2011) | 26° (2020) |
| Fri Oct 2 | 78° / 49° | 64° / 37° | 87° (2011) | 25° (2009) |
| Sat Oct 3 | 70° / 43° | 62° / 35° | 89° (2025) | 21° (2009) |
| Sun Oct 4 | 73° / 48° | 63° / 36° | 89° (2010) | 24° (2017) |
| Mon Oct 5 | 81° / 54° | 59° / 35° | 84° (2021) | 15° (2005) |
| Tue Oct 6 | 76° / 49° | 62° / 34° | 83° (2020) | 15° (2000) |
| Wed Oct 7 | 74° / 49° | 65° / 37° | 81° (2003) | 15° (2000) |
| Thu Oct 8 | 76° / 50° | 61° / 38° | 87° (2020) | 24° (2000) |
Sun and moon
| Day | Civil twilight | Sunrise | Sunset | Civil twilight | Daylight | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:11 PM | 11 h 43 min | Waning gibbous · 73% lit |
| Fri | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11 h 40 min | Waning gibbous · 63% lit |
| Sat | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:08 PM | 11 h 37 min | Last quarter · 53% lit |
| Sun | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11 h 33 min | Last quarter · 42% lit |
| Mon | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:04 PM | 11 h 30 min | Waning crescent · 32% lit |
| Tue | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:02 PM | 11 h 28 min | Waning crescent · 22% lit |
| Wed | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:01 PM | 11 h 25 min | Waning crescent · 14% lit |
| Thu | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:30 PM | 6:59 PM | 11 h 21 min | Waning crescent · 8% lit |
Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).
What is here
- Seven days
- The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
- Hour by hour
- Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
- Everything else on the grid
- The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
- The discussion
- The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
- Beyond the week
- The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
- Against the record
- Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
- The next 90 days
- The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.
Common questions
Where does this forecast come from?
From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.
How far ahead does it go?
The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.
Why is this different from the app on my phone?
Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.
What is a place’s address here?
Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.
What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from