South Dakota, 1997

Winter Storm in South Dakota, April 9 to 10, 1997

April 9 to 10, 1997 · NWS UNR · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

A late season storm produced snow from the Black Hills through South Central South Dakota. The greatest amounts occurred in a 40 mile wide swath generally along and south of Interstate 90.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

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 late season storm produced snow from the Black Hills through South Central South Dakota. The greatest amounts occurred in a 40 mile wide swath generally along and south of Interstate 90. Snowfall amounts include9 inches at Rapid City, 12 inches at Deerfield, 10 inches at Custer, 11 inches at Mission, and 12 inches at Winner. Outside this swath, snowfall generally ranged from 3 to 6 inches.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Bennett

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Bennett forecast zone
Coordinates
43.195, -101.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Black Hills / W Pennington / Pennington

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Central Black Hills / W Pennington / Pennington forecast zone
Coordinates
43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Foot Hills / C Pennington / Part of E Custer

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Central Foot Hills / C Pennington / Part of E Custer forecast zone
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Custer Plains / X E Custer

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Custer Plains / X E Custer forecast zone
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Fall River Co. / Fall River Except N

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Fall River Co. / Fall River Except N forecast zone
Coordinates
43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jackson

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates
43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mellette

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Mellette forecast zone
Coordinates
43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pennington Plains / E Pennington

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Pennington Plains / E Pennington forecast zone
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Oglala Lakota

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota forecast zone
Coordinates
43.336, -102.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Black Hills / Custer Except E / Nc Fall River

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Black Hills / Custer Except E / Nc Fall River forecast zone
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Foot Hills / Part of N Fall River

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Foot Hills / Part of N Fall River forecast zone
Coordinates
43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Todd

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Todd forecast zone
Coordinates
43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Tripp

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Tripp forecast zone
Coordinates
43.346, -99.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Black Hills / Lawrence Except N / Lawrence Except Sw Meade

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Black Hills / Lawrence Except N / Lawrence Except Sw Meade forecast zone
Coordinates
44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Haakon

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Haakon forecast zone
Coordinates
44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Meade Co. Plains / Except X Sw Meade

When
April 9, 12:00 PM MST to April 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Meade Co. Plains / Except X Sw Meade forecast zone
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, April 1997

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: 5610661, 5610662, 5610663, 5610664, 5610665, 5610666, 5610667, 5610668, 5610669, 5610670, 5610671, 5610672, 5610673, 5610674, 5610675, 5610676.