High Wind, Harding
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Harding forecast zone
- Measured
- 58 kt (67 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in South Dakota, May 5 to 6, 1999
A slow moving low pressure system moved across western South Dakota and deepened as it moved into the eastern portions of the state while high pressure pushed in over the Rocky Mountains. Very strong northwest winds developed in western South Dakota and continued for nearly 48 hours.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 18 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
- 18
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 slow moving low pressure system moved across western South Dakota and deepened as it moved into the eastern portions of the state while high pressure pushed in over the Rocky Mountains. Very strong northwest winds developed in western South Dakota and continued for nearly 48 hours. Numerous businesses had large signs blown down and billboards on the interstate were broken at their bases. Airlines cancelled flights into and out of Rapid City due to the high winds. Numerous power outages were also reported due to trees falling across the power lines.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
18 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Bennett
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Bennett forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.195, -101.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Butte
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Butte forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Central Foot Hills
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central Foot Hills forecast zone
- Measured
- 57 kt (66 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Custer Plains
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Custer Plains forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Fall River Co.
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Fall River Co. forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Haakon
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Jackson
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Measured
- 45 kt (52 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Sustained wind at 45 to 50
High Wind, Meade Co. Plains
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Meade Co. Plains forecast zone
- Measured
- 74 kt (85 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Mellette
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Mellette forecast zone
- Measured
- 40 kt (46 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Sustained wind at 40 to 45 mph
High Wind, Northern Foot Hills
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
- Measured
- 59 kt (68 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Pennington Plains
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington Plains forecast zone
- Measured
- 71 kt (82 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Perkins
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Perkins forecast zone
- Measured
- 58 kt (67 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Oglala Lakota
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Oglala Lakota forecast zone
- Measured
- 43 kt (49 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.336, -102.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Sustained wind at 45 to 50 mph
High Wind, Southern Foot Hills
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southern Foot Hills forecast zone
- Measured
- 40 kt (46 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Sustained wind at 40-45 mph
High Wind, Todd
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Todd forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Tripp
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Tripp forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.346, -99.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Ziebach
- When
- May 5, 8:00 AM MST to May 6, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Ziebach forecast zone
- Measured
- 57 kt (66 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.980, -101.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes in Tennessee, May 5, 1999
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Tennessee, May 5 to 9, 1999
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, May 5, 1999
- Tornado in Indiana, May 5, 1999
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, May 5, 1999
- Tornado and Hail in North Carolina, May 5 to 6, 1999
- Flooding and Hail in Mississippi, May 5, 1999
- Tornado in Indiana, May 5, 1999
- Tornado and Hail in Georgia, May 5 to 6, 1999
- Tornado in Illinois, May 5, 1999
- Flash Flood and Hail in Louisiana, May 5, 1999
- Damaging Winds in Arkansas, May 5, 1999
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, May 1999
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: 5698423, 5698424, 5698425, 5698426, 5698427, 5698428, 5698429, 5698430, 5698431, 5698432, 5698433, 5698434, 5698435, 5698531, 5698532, 5698533, 5698534, 5698535.