High Wind in South Dakota, May 20 to 23, 2001

Name: High Wind in South Dakota, May 20 to 23, 2001
Start: 2001-05-20T02:07
End: 2001-05-23T14:35
Location: South Dakota

May 20 to 23, 2001 · NWS UNR · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

A deep cut off upper level low pressure system persisted over Minnesota for several days. The associated surface low was over Minnesota, as the system was "stacked" vertically.

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 UNR wrote it up.

A deep cut off upper level low pressure system persisted over Minnesota for several days. The associated surface low was over Minnesota, as the system was "stacked" vertically. A very tight surface pressure gradient existed over the Dakotas from May 20th through the afternoon of the 23rd. The low level pressure gradient was very tight as well, with 35 to 60 mph winds only a few thousand feet above the surface. Strong winds were observed over western South Dakota these 4 days. With day time heating, the boundary layer became mixed and the high winds aloft were able to reach the surface at times, producing surface winds of 30 to 45 mph with very occasional gusts to 55 to 60 mph. Overnight winds subsided, but still blew 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph. The winds caused no damage, however the 4 day duration of these strong winds was certainly an unusual event over western South Dakota.

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 Rapid City, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 20, 2:00 AM MST, 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:00 AM MST, 7 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
300 AM MDT SUN MAY 20 2001

08Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PUT COLD FRONT FROM CENTRAL ND THROUGH KRAP
INTO CENTRAL WY. ISOLATED TSRA PAINTING THE BOUNDARY WITH SUPPORT
FROM LEAD SHORTWAVE OVER EASTERN MT. 3MB/3HR RISES BEHIND FRONT
PRODUCING WIND GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH. PER WATER VAPOUR...JET STREAK
OVER WESTERN MT RACING SOUTHEAST TO DIG UPPER TROUGH. CONCERN TODAY
IS WIND.

00Z ETA/NGM/AVN INITIALIZED ALRIGHT AND AT 06Z REPRESENTED REALITY.
AVN HANDLING PRECIPITATION BEST WITH ALL MODELS A LITTLE SLOW WITH
TIMING OF SURFACE FRONT. UPPER TROUGH WILL GET CARVED OVER THE NORTH
CENTRAL US TODAY/TONIGHT ALLOWING UNSEASONABLE COLD AIR TO MOVE INTO
THE AREA. THE TROUGH WILL SLOWLY SHIFT EAST DURING THE WEEK ALLOWING
A SLOW WARMUP.

TODAY/TONIGHT...COLD FRONT WILL EXIT THE CWA BY 18Z WITH STRONG COLD
AIR ADVECTION IN THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE TROPOSPHERE. UPPER LOW OVER
SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA WILL MOVE EAST AS A SECONDARY SHORTWAVE ROTATES
AROUND IT REINFORCING THE COLD AIR BY 00Z. THE SURFACE REFLECTION OF
THIS WAVE WILL TIGHTEN THE GRADIENT EVEN MORE LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
LAPSE RATES ARE FORECAST TO BE NEARLY DRY UP TO 700MB. HENCE...WE
EXPECT CLASSIC ADVISORY CRITERIA WINDS THROUGH THIS EVENING. STEEP
LAPSE RATES AND INCREASING RELATIVE HUMIDITY DUE TO COLD AIR
ADVECTION WILL ALLOW SOME INSTABILITY SHRASN TO DEVELOP OVER
NORTHEAST WY AND THE BLACK HILLS. LIFT WILL BE ENHANCED BY THE LEFT
EXIT REGION OF THE WESTERN MT JET STREAK. HIGHS WILL OCCUR EARLY
TODAY WITH LOWS TONIGHT STAYING REASONABLE GIVEN LACK OF TOTAL
DECOUPLING.

MONDAY...STEEP LAPSE RATES AND RESIDUAL MOISTURE WILL PROMOTE PLENTY
OF CLOUDS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW READINGS A GOOD DEAL LOWER THAN
GUIDANCE AND WILL FOLLOW. GUIDANCE DOES NOT HANDLE SUCH COLD AIR
WELL THIS LATE IN THE SPRING.

IN THE EXTENDED...LITTLE CHANGE MADE AS MEAN UPPER TROUGH GETS
REPLACED BY A RIDGE TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK.

COORDINATED WITH KABR/KLBF.

.UNR...WIND ADVISORY THROUGH THIS EVENING NORTHWEST SD.
       WIND ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SOUTH CENTRAL SD.

HELGESON

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Bennett

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Bennett forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.195, -101.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Butte / Except X Sw Butte

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Butte / Except X Sw Butte forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Central Foot Hills / C Pennington / Part of E Custer

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Central Foot Hills / C Pennington / Part of E Custer forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Pennington Plains / E Pennington

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Pennington Plains / E Pennington forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Haakon

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Haakon forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Harding

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Harding forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jackson

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Meade Co. Plains / Except X Sw Meade

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Meade Co. Plains / Except X Sw Meade forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mellette

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Mellette forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Perkins

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Perkins forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Todd

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Todd forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Tripp

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Tripp forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.346, -99.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ziebach

When: May 20, 2:07 AM MST to May 23, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Ziebach forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
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

Every storm in South Dakota in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, May 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5247033, 5247034, 5247035, 5247036, 5247037, 5247038, 5247039, 5247040, 5247041, 5247042, 5247043, 5247044, 5247045.