South Dakota, 2000

Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 15 to 16, 2000

December 15 to 16, 2000 · NWS UNR · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved through the region bringing high winds sustained from 40 to 50 mph with gusts over 60 mph. The peak wind of 63 mph was recorded at Ellsworth Air Force Base.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 strong cold front moved through the region bringing high winds sustained from 40 to 50 mph with gusts over 60 mph. The peak wind of 63 mph was recorded at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Ground blizzard conditions were reported over much of western South Dakota with near zero visiblities for several hours during the evening of the 15th. Wind chill temperatures dropped to 50 to 70 below zero for most of the day on the 16th. Snowfall totals were generally a trace, with the Northern Black Hills receiving one to two inches.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Northern Black Hills / Lawrence Except N / Lawrence Except Sw Meade

When
December 15, 6:20 PM MST to December 16, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Black Hills / Lawrence Except N / Lawrence Except Sw Meade forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Harding

When
December 15, 7:30 PM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Perkins

When
December 15, 7:30 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Perkins forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Butte / Except X Sw Butte

When
December 15, 7:45 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Butte / Except X Sw Butte forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Meade Co. Plains / Except X Sw Meade

When
December 15, 7:50 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Meade Co. Plains / Except X Sw Meade forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Foot Hills / N Lawrence / X Sw Butte / Part of Sw Meade

When
December 15, 8:20 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Foot Hills / N Lawrence / X Sw Butte / Part of Sw Meade forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pennington Plains / E Pennington

When
December 15, 8:20 PM MST to 11:30 PM MST
Where
Pennington Plains / E Pennington forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bennett

When
December 15, 8:30 PM MST to 10:30 PM MST
Where
Bennett forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.195, -101.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mellette

When
December 15, 9:00 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Mellette forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Tripp

When
December 15, 9:00 PM MST to December 16, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Tripp forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.346, -99.884 (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

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, December 2000

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: 5177242, 5177237, 5177245, 5177239, 5177240, 5177243, 5177244, 5177238, 5177241, 5177246.