South Dakota, 1997

Blizzard in South Dakota, January 9 to 10, 1997

January 9 to 10, 1997 · NWS UNR · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

A surge of arctic air with 40 to 60 mph winds created deadly wind chill indices to 80 below. Snowfall amounts were light over the plains, but winds lifted snow already on the ground resulting in zero visibility.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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
17

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 surge of arctic air with 40 to 60 mph winds created deadly wind chill indices to 80 below. Snowfall amounts were light over the plains, but winds lifted snow already on the ground resulting in zero visibility. Most roads, including Interstate 90, were closed along and north of a line from Belle Fourche to Wall to Winner. Heavy snow occurred in the northern Black Hills with a maximum of 12 inches near Lead. Numerous automobile accidents and scattered 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

17 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Harding

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone
Coordinates
45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Perkins

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Perkins forecast zone
Coordinates
45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Butte

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Butte forecast zone
Coordinates
44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Northern Meade Co Plains

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ziebach

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 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 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 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 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 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
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Rapid City forecast zone
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Custer Co Plains

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Custer Co Plains forecast zone
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pennington Co Plains

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Pennington Co Plains forecast zone
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Haakon

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Haakon forecast zone
Coordinates
44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Oglala Lakota

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota forecast zone
Coordinates
43.336, -102.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Jackson

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 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 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 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 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Mellette forecast zone
Coordinates
43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Todd

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Todd forecast zone
Coordinates
43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Tripp

When
January 9, 4:00 AM MST to January 10, 8:00 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

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5584644, 5584645, 5584646, 5584647, 5584648, 5584649, 5584650, 5584651, 5584652, 5584653, 5584654, 5584655, 5584656, 5584657, 5584658, 5584659, 5584660.