September 16, 2025
Color Change: 50% (Moderate)
Leaf foliage has reached 50% of its full color in Spearfish Canyon. Lime greens are emerging in the rocky layers south of Bridal Veil Falls. The lime hues will fade into yellow throughout the next week. Around Devil’s Bathtub we are seeing orange colors in the leaves. This area is best viewed as you drive slowly northeast towards Spearfish. Savoy and the area behind Spearfish Canyon Lodge is a sight to see, as the seasonal transition to fall is on full display.
Last evening around 6-7pm we had a rain, wind, and small hailstorm roll through town. Luckily, the Spearfish Canyon leaves are still hardy enough that the wind did not shake them off.
But what could the rest of the month bring, and when might we see our first snowfall?
My thanks to David Stradling, Chief Meteorologist at KOTA Territory News, for sharing reflections and predictions on our 2025 weather.
In 2025, Spearfish experienced cooler temperatures and more moisture, but less overall snow, than in 2024. Looking at January 1 through August 31, 2025, Spearfish temperatures were 0.6° below normal, total moisture received was 19.06" (2.67" above normal), and the 2024 snow season saw 13.5" more snow compared to the 2025 snow season (43.8" total inches).
Stradling predicts that “our fall months, September, October and November, will likely stay slightly warmer than average with moisture numbers near to slightly below normal.”
We can expect the first measurable snowfall for Spearfish, 0.1" or greater, around October 21. Stradling said he does not see any strong signals that point to an early snowfall but said we can expect to see snow sometime in the month of October. Our region could see above normal moisture during late fall and into winter (November to January).
