South Dakota, 2000

Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, March 7 to 8, 2000

March 7 to 8, 2000 · NWS UNR · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

A winter storm system brought blizzard conditions to areas generally north of Interstate 90, with lesser amounts of snow and lower wind speeds south of the interstate. The northern Black Hills also had heavy snowfall.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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
15

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 winter storm system brought blizzard conditions to areas generally north of Interstate 90, with lesser amounts of snow and lower wind speeds south of the interstate. The northern Black Hills also had heavy snowfall. Winds north of the interstate ranged from 40 to 50 mph sustained with gusts to over 60 mph. The peak wind gust was 74 mph at Ellsworth Air Force Base at 330 pm on the 8th. Snowfall ranged from 4 to 13 inches with drifts of 2 to 4 feet. South of Interstate 90, wind speeds were from 25 to 40 mph with gusts around 50 mph. Snowfall amounts ranged from 2 to 6 inches. In the northern Black Hills, snowfall amounts were 13 to 21 inches. The highest amount was 21 inches at Lead.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 blizzard, 5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Harding

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Butte

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Butte forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Central Foot Hills

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Central Foot Hills forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Haakon

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Haakon forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Meade Co. Plains

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Meade Co. Plains forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Northern Foot Hills

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pennington Plains

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Pennington Plains forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Perkins

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Perkins forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ziebach

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Ziebach forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.980, -101.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Custer Plains

When
March 7, 9:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Custer Plains forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Fall River Co.

When
March 7, 11:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Fall River Co. forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bennett

When
March 7, 11:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 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, Jackson

When
March 7, 11:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Oglala Lakota

When
March 7, 11:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.336, -102.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Foot Hills

When
March 7, 11:00 PM MST to March 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Foot Hills forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.239, -103.528 (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.
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, March 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: 5138180, 5138181, 5138182, 5138183, 5138184, 5138185, 5138186, 5138187, 5138188, 5138189, 5138190, 5138191, 5138192, 5138193, 5138194.