Winter Storm, Brown
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Brown forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.590, -98.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in South Dakota, March 3 to 4, 1997
Two to five inches of snow fell across northeast and part of central South Dakota. This new snowfall combined with the already deep and expansive snowpack and winds of 20 to 40 mph brought widespread blowing and drifting snow.
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
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 ABR wrote it up.
Two to five inches of snow fell across northeast and part of central South Dakota. This new snowfall combined with the already deep and expansive snowpack and winds of 20 to 40 mph brought widespread blowing and drifting snow. Visibilities were reduced to near zero at times making travel treacherous and many roads were blocked by snowdrifts. Several roads were closed. Several vehicles became stuck and had to be pulled out. Many area schools were closed once again. Some snowfall amounts included, 4 inches at Clear Lake, Britton, Waubay, and Wilmot, 5 inches at Onida, Blunt, Highmore, Miller, and Milbank.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
17 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Marshall
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.759, -97.598 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Roberts
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Roberts forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.630, -96.946 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Edmunds
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Edmunds forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.419, -99.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Day
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Day forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.367, -97.607 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Faulk
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Faulk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.071, -99.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Spink
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Spink forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.938, -98.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Clark
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clark forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.858, -97.729 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Codington
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Codington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.978, -97.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Grant
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Grant forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.172, -96.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hamlin
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hamlin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.674, -97.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Deuel
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Deuel forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.760, -96.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Sully
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sully forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.716, -100.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hughes
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hughes forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hyde
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hyde forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.547, -99.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hand
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hand forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.548, -99.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, McPherson
- When
- March 3, 11:00 AM CST to March 4, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- McPherson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.766, -99.221 (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
- Flooding in Kentucky, March 3 to 4, 1997
- Flooding in Kentucky, March 3 to 5, 1997
- Flooding in Kentucky, March 3 to 4, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, March 3 to 4, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, March 3, 1997
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, March 3, 1997
- Winter Storm in Colorado, March 3 to 4, 1997
- Winter Weather in New Jersey, March 3, 1997
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, March 3 to 4, 1997
- Heavy Snow in North Dakota, March 3 to 4, 1997
- Winter Storm in Colorado, March 3, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, March 3 to 4, 1997
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, March 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: 5591637, 5591638, 5591639, 5591640, 5591641, 5591642, 5591643, 5591644, 5591645, 5591646, 5591647, 5591648, 5591649, 5591650, 5591651, 5591652, 5594001.