South Dakota, 1998

Blizzard in South Dakota, November 10, 1998

November 10, 1998 · NWS FSD · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

Snow accumulating 4 to 14 inches combined with winds gusting as high as 60 mph caused zero visibilities in snow and blowing snow, drifting snow, and damage to trees and power lines with resultant power outages. Some of the power outages lasted over 2 days.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 24 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
$500,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
24

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 FSD wrote it up.

Snow accumulating 4 to 14 inches combined with winds gusting as high as 60 mph caused zero visibilities in snow and blowing snow, drifting snow, and damage to trees and power lines with resultant power outages. Some of the power outages lasted over 2 days. Most roads were closed and many people were stranded in vehicles after the sudden onset of the heavy snow. Businesses and schools including colleges and universities were forced to close as the blizzard shut down the area. The blizzard began in part of the area as heavy rain changed to snow during thunderstorms.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Aurora

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Aurora forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.718, -98.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Beadle

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Beadle forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.415, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Bon Homme

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Bon Homme forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.988, -97.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Brookings

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Brookings forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.370, -96.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Brule

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Brule forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.718, -99.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Charles Mix

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Charles Mix forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.208, -98.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Davison

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Davison forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.675, -98.146 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Douglas

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.387, -98.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Gregory

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Gregory forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.192, -99.186 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hanson

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Hanson forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.675, -97.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hutchinson

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Hutchinson forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.335, -97.754 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Jerauld

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Jerauld forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.066, -98.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kingsbury

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Kingsbury forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.370, -97.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lake

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Lake forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.022, -97.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McCook

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
McCook forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.674, -97.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Miner

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Miner forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.022, -97.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Moody

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Moody forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.022, -96.671 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sanborn

When
November 10, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Sanborn forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.023, -98.091 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Clay

When
November 10, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.915, -96.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lincoln

When
November 10, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.279, -96.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Minnehaha

When
November 10, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Minnehaha forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.674, -96.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Turner

When
November 10, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Turner forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.311, -97.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Union

When
November 10, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Union forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.833, -96.656 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Yankton

When
November 10, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Yankton forecast zone
Property damage
$21,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.009, -97.395 (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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, November 1998

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: 5676202, 5676203, 5676204, 5676205, 5676206, 5676207, 5676209, 5676210, 5676211, 5676212, 5676213, 5676214, 5676215, 5676216, 5676218, 5676219, 5676221, 5676222, 5676208, 5676217, 5676220, 5676223, 5676224, 5676225.