Blizzard in South Dakota, January 4 to 5, 1997

Name: Blizzard in South Dakota, January 4 to 5, 1997
Start: 1997-01-04T00:00
End: 1997-01-05T12:00
Location: South Dakota

January 4 to 5, 1997 · NWS UNR · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

A mix of wintry precipitation changed to all snow. Across the plains of western South Dakota, two to six inches of snow fell with Harding and Perkins counties being the hardest hit.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

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 mix of wintry precipitation changed to all snow. Across the plains of western South Dakota, two to six inches of snow fell with Harding and Perkins counties being the hardest hit. Up to nine inches fell in the central and northern Black Hills. Strong northwest winds, frequently to 40 mph, caused near zero visibility in blowing and drifting snow. Most roads, along and north of Interstate 90 and in the northern Black Hills, were closed or blocked by drifted snow. Numerous auto accidents and isolated power outages were reported.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Harding

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Harding forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Perkins

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Perkins forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Butte

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Butte forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Meade Co. Plains

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Meade Co. Plains forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ziebach

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to January 5, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Ziebach forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.980, -101.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Northern Black Hills

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Black Hills forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Northern Foot Hills

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Central Black Hills

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Central Black Hills forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pennington Plains

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Pennington Plains forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Haakon

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to January 5, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Haakon forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Jackson

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to January 5, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Bennett

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to January 5, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Bennett forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.195, -101.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Mellette

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to January 5, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Mellette forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Todd

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to January 5, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Todd forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Tripp

When: January 4, 12:00 AM MST to January 5, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Tripp forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.346, -99.884 (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

Every storm in South Dakota in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, January 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: 5584619, 5584620, 5584621, 5584622, 5584623, 5584624, 5584625, 5584626, 5584627, 5584628, 5584629, 5584630, 5584631, 5584632, 5584633.