The Badlands climate is variable and unpredictable with temperatures ranging from 116 F to -40F. Most of the scant fifteen inches of annual precipitation fall just before and during the warmer months, often in the form of torrential thunderstorms. June is the wettest month while December and January are the driest.

The weather in the park can be severe and can go from one extreme to another in a short period of time. Dress appropriately, drive with extra caution during stormy or icy conditions, and seek shelter from the thundershowers, hailstorms, and occasional tornadoes that sometimes descend on the Badlands with sudden fury.