Badlands & Custer SP. Difference in June vs August?

We were there in August and I don't remember it being overly hot.

June on the plains that far north it is starting to get warm, things are getting green, wildflowers growing like crazy, trees flowering, grasses doing first flowering. You can still have cool days, might have hot days.

August, it is going to be hot. July is hot, August tends to be hotter, and can be a bit more humid as Gulf air masses push ever further north through the summer. Maybe very late August it can be starting to cool down into the 80s occasionally, but that part of the country starts getting autumn relief well after Labor Day.

School may have already started locally, but traffic in vacation areas is from elsewhere, and there can be an end of summer vacation rush for the families who start school at the beginning of September.

We were at Devils Tower in Wyoming in August, which is not to far from Sturgis or the Black Hills. It was near 100 degrees every day. Went into Montana and it hit 102 degrees. I'd say go in June if you like it cooler.

Sturgis is August 6th thru the 14th in 2016.

One advantage to August is kids will be getting ready to go back to school, so there should be smaller crowds. But there is no wrong answer here, both times of the year will be great!

Bob & Ann wrote:
We were there this past June(2015). The temperatures were great as they were between 70 and 78 degrees. In early June you beat the crowds and is just more enjoyable.

This would be the third week in June, so not really early. We have to wait for the kids to get out of school.

We were there this past June(2015). The temperatures were great as they were between 70 and 78 degrees. In early June you beat the crowds and is just more enjoyable.

If it were me I wouldn't hesitate to go in June rather than August. August is usually very hot while June is very pleasant. No comparison. Late August will be a bit cooler but still can be very hot and humid. Late June can be getting pretty warm but is almost sure to be much nicer than late August.

michigansandzilla wrote:

TenOC wrote:
I would suggest August, the Buffalo and Elk (?) will be at the peak of the breeding season. It is surprising how loud they are. Plus the trees should be in full color.

Check to see when the Surges motorcycle rally is. 500,000 motorcycle in the area can be a problem.

We'd be a week and half after sturgis ends.
Didn't know about the elk. Thanks

Didn't know about the elk.

August is too early for elk rutting. It's in late September/early October.

Info On Elk Rutting

That said, it's likely to be rather warm in the Badlands either time, presumably hotter in August than in June, simply because August is generally a hotter month anyway. Custer can also get warm, but it's been very pleasant in June the times that I've been there that month.

Avoid The Sturgis rally at ALL costs, plus the week before and after. Your timing should be good.