Today's barometric pressure in Rapid City, a 48-hour pressure chart, and a risk score for weather-triggered migraine and headache, based on pressure drops, humidity, and temperature changes.
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Rapid City sits at the edge of the Black Hills where Chinook winds can raise temperatures 40 degrees in minutes. These sudden warm-air intrusions carry equally dramatic pressure changes, making the city one of the most barometrically volatile in the country.
Worst season for migraines: October through April, plus June. Rapid City sits at the eastern edge of the Black Hills where Chinook winds descend from the mountains, capable of raising temperatures 60+ degrees in a single day. These extreme temperature swings are accompanied by correspondingly dramatic pressure changes that rank among the most intense in the country.
Common triggers in Rapid City: Black Hills Chinook wind events with extreme temperature and pressure swings, spring upslope snowstorm development, rapid cycling between Arctic and Chinook air masses. Rapid City sits at 3,200 feet on the eastern slope of the Black Hills, where the Great Plains meet a 7,200-foot mountain island. This geographic position creates some of the most extreme temperature changes on earth. The January 1943 event saw the temperature swing from minus 4 to 45 degrees in two minutes. While that was exceptional, Chinook-driven temperature swings of 30-50 degrees in a few hours remain common, each carrying significant pressure changes.
Typical pressure: Rapid City averages 902 hPa at rest, measured at the city's own elevation rather than corrected to sea level, and storm systems can push readings down to 886 hPa. Swings of 7-15 hPa over 24 hours are common during active weather and fall within the range most associated with pressure-triggered migraines.
2026 index: Rapid City ranks #10 of 100 in our 2026 U.S. Migraine Risk Index, where #1 is the most challenging city for weather-driven migraine.
Can Rapid City weather trigger migraines?
Yes. Rapid City experiences 7-15 hPa barometric pressure swings, and research shows pressure drops are one of the most common migraine triggers. The city's specific patterns include Black Hills Chinook wind events with extreme temperature and pressure swings, spring upslope snowstorm development, rapid cycling between Arctic and Chinook air masses.
What time of year are migraines worst in Rapid City?
In Rapid City the most barometrically volatile stretch of the year falls in October through April, plus June. That is when weather is most likely to play a part, if weather is a trigger for you at all. See when migraine weather season starts across the U.S.
Is there a barometric pressure headache forecast for Rapid City?
This page works as one. Many people call a headache that arrives with a weather change a barometric pressure headache, and this forecast tracks the pressure drops, humidity and temperature swings behind that idea. The score covers the next 24 hours in Rapid City and the chart shows the next 48. It is built on migraine research, so treat it as a rough guide for other headaches. A sudden, severe headache needs urgent medical care, whatever the weather.
Your own forecast
This page shows the weather risk for everyone in Rapid City. The MigrAid app learns yours. It saves the barometric pressure, humidity and temperature with every migraine you log, shows whether Rapid City's swings really line up with your attacks, and alerts you when conditions match your own trigger history.