South Dakota, 2001

Winter Storm in South Dakota, February 7 to 8, 2001

February 7 to 8, 2001 · NWS FSD · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Snow changed to freezing rain and freezing drizzle, then back to snow. All areas received considerable icing on roads and other surfaces, with several vehicles sliding off roads.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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
13

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 changed to freezing rain and freezing drizzle, then back to snow. All areas received considerable icing on roads and other surfaces, with several vehicles sliding off roads. New snow accumulations varied, ranging from 10 inches at Huron and nearWessington Springs, down to 2 inches or less at other areas. Strong winds combined with the new snowfall and already existingsnow cover to cause blowing and drifting snow, with the drifting snow closing several roads. Schools were closed in many areas,with rural schools near Wessington Springs closed for three days because of the continued drifting.

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 6, 8:45 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 6, 8:45 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Aurora

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Aurora forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.718, -98.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Beadle

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Beadle forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.415, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Brookings

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Brookings forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.370, -96.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Brule

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Brule forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.718, -99.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Charles Mix

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Charles Mix forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.208, -98.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Davison

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Davison forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.675, -98.146 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Douglas

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.387, -98.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Gregory

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Gregory forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.192, -99.186 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hanson

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Hanson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.675, -97.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jerauld

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Jerauld forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.066, -98.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Kingsbury

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Kingsbury forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.370, -97.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Miner

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Miner forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.022, -97.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sanborn

When
February 7, 1:00 AM CST to February 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Sanborn forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.023, -98.091 (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 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5233246, 5233247, 5233248, 5233249, 5233250, 5233251, 5233252, 5233253, 5233254, 5233255, 5233256, 5233257, 5233258.