Winter Storm in South Dakota, February 24 to 25, 2001

Name: Winter Storm in South Dakota, February 24 to 25, 2001
Start: 2001-02-24T12:00
End: 2001-02-25T10:00
Location: South Dakota

February 24 to 25, 2001 · NWS FSD · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

Freezing rain was followed by snow and blowing snow. Heavy snow fell over much of the area.

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: None recorded
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.

Freezing rain was followed by snow and blowing snow. Heavy snow fell over much of the area. New snow accumulations were 8 inches or more from Brookings west to Huron...and southwest to Mitchell, Chamberlain, Burke, and Pickstown. The greatest reported accumulation was 15 inches at Burke. Along and southeast of a Sioux Falls to Yankton line, new snow accumulations were in the 2 to 6 inch range, but significant icing occurred in this area. There were scattered reports of tree and power line damage, and of minor structural damage due to the weight of the snow, but no damage estimates were available. Winds gusting to 40 to 50 mph during and after the snowfall caused near blizzard conditions and considerable drifting, blocking roads and stranding numerous vehicles. Travel was impossible in many areas and many businesses, colleges, and technical schools were closed. Interstate highway 90 and parts of Interstate highway 29 were closed for more than 18 hours due to the drifting snow and poor visibilities. County and State snowplows were pulled off the roads until conditions improved.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 24, 10:50 AM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 10:50 AM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1050 AM CST SAT FEB 24 2001

PREV FCST ON THE MARK OVERALL...BUT HAVE UPDATED TO REMOVE FRZG
DRZL ADVY AND TO PUSH BACK WINTER PRECIP AND WARNING TIL LATE IN
AFTN MOST AREAS. EXPCT MAJOR DVLPMT WITH BOMBOGENESIS SE OF CWA BY
EVE...WITH ONLY THE AVN MODEL TOO FAR E WITH QPF THIS EVE. PLENTY OF
GULF MOISTURE AND NEG TILT DYNAMICS TO WORK WITH ON THIS FAIRLY FAST
MOVG SYS LATE THIS AFTN INTO TNGT.

.FSD...VARIOUS WSW HEADLINES THROUGH THE FSD CWA...CHECK THE LATEST
    FSDWSWFSD.

RSR

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Aurora

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Aurora forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.718, -98.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Brule

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Brule forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.718, -99.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Charles Mix

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Charles Mix forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.208, -98.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Davison

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Davison forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.675, -98.146 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Douglas

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.387, -98.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Gregory

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Gregory forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.192, -99.186 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hanson

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Hanson forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.675, -97.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jerauld

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Jerauld forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.066, -98.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sanborn

When: February 24, 12:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Sanborn forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.023, -98.091 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Beadle

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Beadle forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.415, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bon Homme

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Bon Homme forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.988, -97.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hutchinson

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Hutchinson forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.335, -97.754 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Kingsbury

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Kingsbury forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.370, -97.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lake

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Miner

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Miner forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Union

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.833, -96.656 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Yankton

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Yankton forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.009, -97.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Brookings

When: February 24, 4:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Brookings forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.370, -96.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clay

When: February 24, 4:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.915, -96.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lincoln

When: February 24, 4:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.279, -96.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McCook

When: February 24, 4:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: McCook forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.674, -97.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Minnehaha

When: February 24, 4:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Minnehaha forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.674, -96.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Moody

When: February 24, 4:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Moody forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.022, -96.671 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Turner

When: February 24, 4:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Turner forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.311, -97.149 (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

Every storm in South Dakota in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, February 2001

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: 5233261, 5233265, 5233266, 5233268, 5233269, 5233270, 5233271, 5233273, 5233343, 5233262, 5233263, 5233272, 5233274, 5233275, 5233340, 5233345, 5233346, 5233264, 5233267, 5233276, 5233339, 5233341, 5233342, 5233344.