Summer Weather in the Black Hills

Summer weather in the Black Hills usually follows a pretty predictable pattern: hot and dry days, afternoon thunderstorms, and cool nights. Of course, we have the most variable weather in the United States, so that predictable pattern can sometimes fly right out the window. 

This week has been a perfect case in point. This past weekend gave us some of the hottest weather we've had all year in Deadwood: the thermometer on the inn's covered porch hit 95F/35C on Saturday, and the overnight low was just below 70F/21C - unusually hot for the higher elevations of the Black Hills. Then, practically overnight, we rolled right into the coldest days we've had yet this summer: we had a couple of days that didn't crack 60F/15C, with some overnight lows around 38F/3C - and more than two inches/five centimeters of rain. That's unusually frigid for August, even for the mountains. We had to bust out some extra blankets, turn on the furnace, and fire up the fireplace in the parlor. 

Although the temperatures are going to do some more yo-yoing over the next few days, things should stay pretty dry for all the people with classic cars in town for the 2015 Kool Deadwood Nites. Things finally get back to normal temperatures (right around 83F/28C) after the weekend.