Blizzard, Harding
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Harding forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in South Dakota, December 14, 1996
A blizzard moved into Northwest South Dakota during the early morning hours and continued through the afternoon. Winds of 30 mph with gusts to 55 mph and snowfall of three to 12 inches resulted in zero visibilities and large snow drifts on roads.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 11
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS UNR wrote it up.
A blizzard moved into Northwest South Dakota during the early morning hours and continued through the afternoon. Winds of 30 mph with gusts to 55 mph and snowfall of three to 12 inches resulted in zero visibilities and large snow drifts on roads. On Interstate 90, several semi-trailer trucks were involved in accidents. Two trucks hit each other, two trucks slid into the ditch, and another hit a car before sliding into the ditch. No major injuries were reported.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
11 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Perkins
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Perkins forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Butte
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Butte forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Northern Black Hills
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Black Hills forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Northern Meade Co Plains
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Northern Foot Hills
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Rapid City
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Rapid City forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Pennington Co Plains
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington Co Plains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Central Black Hills
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central Black Hills forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Ziebach
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
- Where
- Ziebach forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.980, -101.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Haakon
- When
- December 14, 4:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Blizzard
- Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in California, December 14 to 16, 1996
- High Wind in California, December 14 to 16, 1996
- Heavy Snow in South Dakota, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in South Dakota, December 14, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 14 to 15, 1996
- Flooding in Pennsylvania, December 14, 1996
- Blizzard in Wyoming, December 14, 1996
- High Surf in Hawaii, December 14 to 17, 1996
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5579323, 5579324, 5579325, 5579326, 5579327, 5579328, 5579329, 5579330, 5579498, 5579499, 5579500.