Worst air pollution Rapid City, today and tomorrow
Today (16 July): Air quality in Rapid City is fair. AQI and O3 are fair; PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 8:00 AM (O3: 35.5/100).
Tomorrow (17 July 2026): Air quality in Rapid City is fair. All pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 5:00 AM (O3: 30.1/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
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Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team
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Rapid City's air quality benefits from the Black Hills foothills position at 970 metres, with prevailing westerly winds from the Rocky Mountains generally providing clean background air on most days. Vehicle emissions from I-90 and the surrounding tourism and Black Hills National Forest operations are the primary local sources, while occasional wildfire smoke from the surrounding Black Hills forests is the primary episodic seasonal air quality concern.
Today - 16 July | Pollution peaks at 08:00
AQI:
Fair
35.5/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Good
9.1/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Good
5.3/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Good
2.8/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
35.5/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
0.7/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.0/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
5.0/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Good
7.2/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 17 July | Pollution peaks at 05:00
AQI:
Fair
30.1/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Good
8.2/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Good
2.9/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Good
6.7/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
30.1/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
0.8/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.0/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
3.7/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Good
7.4/100
Pollen forecast in Rapid City
View pollen forecastFrequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Rapid City right now?
On 16 July 2026, overall air quality in Rapid City is fair. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 35.5/100. Pollution peaks around 8:00 AM (O3: 35.5/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Rapid City?
On 17 July 2026, air quality conditions in Rapid City will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at fair at 30.1/100. Pollution peaks around 5:00 AM (O3: 30.1/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Rapid City?
Seasonal changes shape air quality across Rapid City: winter generally brings the cleanest air, aside from brief inversion episodes during calm cold spells, but summer heat and humidity drive ozone formation, and agricultural dust can spike particulate levels during planting and harvest. Farm-heavy surrounding land is the main source of the seasonal dust spikes.
Are air quality levels in Rapid City based on measurements or forecasts?
It is forecasts derived by downscaling forecasts provided by EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) by taking into account local conditions such as traffic patterns. CAMS bases its forecast on satellite measurements of particles and chemical compounds in the atmosphere. Airmine’s services were developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team.
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Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 16 July 2026 at 10:33 CEST (Data is updated four times daily.)
This forecast is produced independently using Airmine's own atmospheric data and models.
Unless explicitly made clear, the content on this site has not been paid for by external organisations and is Airmine's sole responsibility.
For long term forecasts and maps, see the Airmine app