Alert archive / South Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 6, NWS Aberdeen, SD

May 15, 2025Grant County, Roberts County, South Dakota; Big Stone County, Traverse County, Minnesota

NWS Aberdeen, SD issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 2025, 4:41 AM CDT for Grant County, Roberts County, South Dakota; Big Stone County, Traverse County, Minnesota. It was in force for 49 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 2025, 4:41 AM CDT (09:41 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2025, 5:30 AM CDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Aberdeen, SD
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Big Stone County, MN, Traverse County, MN, Grant County, SD, Roberts County, SD

The radar

The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 138 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:41 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Aberdeen, SD (KABR), launched 00:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 153 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Aberdeen, SD at 00:00Z on 2025-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 194 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Aberdeen, SD at 00:00Z on 2025-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 2 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
194 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2669 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 15, 4:31 AM CDT, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 4:31 AM CDT, 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 5:05 AM CDT, 23 hours 36 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Aberdeen SD
505 AM CDT Wed May 14 2025

SDZ003>005-009-010-015>017-033>037-045-048-051-151015-
Corson-Campbell-McPherson-Walworth-Edmunds-Dewey-Potter-Faulk-
Stanley-Sully-Hughes-Hyde-Hand-Jones-Lyman-Buffalo-
505 AM CDT Wed May 14 2025 /405 AM MDT Wed May 14 2025/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota and
north central South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop this afternoon and
continue through the evening. Stronger storms could bring heavy
rainfall, and large hail, greater than an inch, and damaging wind
gusts are possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

MNZ039-046-SDZ006>008-011-018>023-151015-
Traverse-Big Stone-Brown-Marshall-Roberts-Day-Spink-Clark-Codington-
Grant-Hamlin-Deuel-
505 AM CDT Wed May 14 2025

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for west central Minnesota and
northeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Continued warm and dry conditions will lead to localized fire weather
concerns through the afternoon.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will occur this evening.
Stronger storms could bring heavy rainfall, and large hail, greater
than an inch, and damaging wind gusts are possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 14, 11:49 PM CDT, 4 hours 52 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Aberdeen SD
1149 PM CDT Wed May 14 2025

SDZ004-005-009-010-016-017-150545-
Walworth SD-Campbell SD-Potter SD-McPherson SD-Edmunds SD-Faulk SD-
1149 PM CDT Wed May 14 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT EDMUNDS...FAULK...CAMPBELL...
POTTER...MCPHERSON AND WALWORTH COUNTIES THROUGH 1245 AM CDT...

At 1146 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm
near Bowdle, moving northwest at 45 mph. Scattered storms over north
central South Dakota have been producing wind gusts of 45 to near 55
mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Mobridge, Gettysburg, Ipswich, Eureka, Faulkton, Selby, Bowdle,
Leola, Herreid, Hoven, Roscoe, Mina Lake Rec Area, Pollock, Hosmer,
Pembrook Colony, Java, Deerfield Colony, Grassland Colony, Spring
Creek Colony, and Brentwood Colony.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 4594 9873 4490 9872 4490 10040 4501 10042
      4503 10039 4502 10028 4509 10033 4525 10026
      4531 10031 4539 10028 4549 10035 4554 10049
      4565 10041 4566 10033 4571 10031 4587 10039
      4594 10050
TIME...MOT...LOC 0446Z 151DEG 38KT 4542 9960

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

06
Special weather statement, May 15, 3:35 AM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Aberdeen SD
335 AM CDT Thu May 15 2025

SDZ020>023-150915-
Hamlin SD-Deuel SD-Grant SD-Codington SD-
335 AM CDT Thu May 15 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT DEUEL...HAMLIN...GRANT AND
EASTERN CODINGTON COUNTIES THROUGH 415 AM CDT...

At 334 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Brandt, or 8 miles south of Clear Lake, moving northeast at 50 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Watertown, Clear Lake, Estelline, Castlewood, Goose Lake, Lake
Poinsett, Hayti, Summit, Rauville, Gary, South Shore, Toronto,
Waverly, Kranzburg, Goodwin, Astoria, Revillo, Stockholm, Brandt, and
Hazel.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service
office in Aberdeen.

&&

LAT...LON 4454 9697 4470 9741 4530 9706 4530 9700
      4512 9645 4454 9646
TIME...MOT...LOC 0834Z 203DEG 43KT 4463 9670

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

Vipond
Local storm report, May 15, 4:16 AM CDT, 25 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Aberdeen SD
416 AM CDT Thu May 15 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0330 AM     Tstm Wnd Gst     4 ENE Poinsett Colony   44.66N 96.82W
05/15/2025  M55 MPH          Deuel              SD   Mesonet

            Mesonet station 47 Brandt (SDDOT).

&&

RV

The office that day

Everything else NWS Aberdeen, SD issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 14, 8:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementABRLyman44 min
May 14, 11:49 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementABRCampbell, Edmunds, Faulk, McPherson, Potter, Walworth56 min
May 15, 3:21 AM CDTHigh Wind WarningABRBuffalo, Campbell, Codington, Corson, Day, Deuel and 17 more40 hr
May 15, 3:35 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementABRCodington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin40 min
May 15, 4:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABRDeuel, Grant34 min
May 15, 4:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABRGrant, Roberts30 min
May 15, 11:08 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementABRDeuel37 min
May 15, 11:44 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementABRDeuel, Grant46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Dakota, 2025Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2025Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.