South Dakota, 2002

Winter Storm in South Dakota, March 13 to 14, 2002

March 13 to 14, 2002 · NWS UNR · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

A potent synoptic storm system intensified as it moved out of the Rockies and across the Northern Plains. This storm spread heavy snow over much of northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota as it slowly moved eastward.

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 potent synoptic storm system intensified as it moved out of the Rockies and across the Northern Plains. This storm spread heavy snow over much of northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota as it slowly moved eastward. Snow began during late morning on the 13th and persisted through the afternoon of the 14th. Most areas of western South Dakota received 6 to 10 inches of snow. The heaviest snowfall occurred over south central South Dakota, where 12 to 18 inches of snow were reported. Gusty northwest winds accompanied the snow and caused reduced visibilities and some drifting snow.

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 Mar 13, 7:52 AM MST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 7:52 AM MST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
752 AM MST WED MAR 13 2002

12Z ETA HAS COME IN LINE WITH 06Z AVN. HAVE PULLED THE TRIGGER IN
BLKHLS AND FAR SW SD AND WENT ADVY FOR NE WY AS GREATER THAN 12 HOUR
EVENT NOT LIKELY TO SEE MORE THAN 7 INCHES. LEFT WATCH FOR RAP ZONE
AND SCNTRL ZONE SO NEXT SHIFT CAN HAVE MORE TIME TO EVALUATE.

.UNR...WINT STORM WARN FOR THE BLK HLS AND FAR SW SD THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH THURS MORN...WINT WX ADVY NE WY THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...WINTER STORM WATCH TONIGHT NRN/CENTRL FOOTHILLS AND PLAINS
E OF BLK HILLS TONIGHT THROUGH THURS MORNING...WINTER STORM WATCH
SCNTRL SD TONIGHT AND THURS.

BAILEY

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Northern Black Hills

When
March 13, 10:00 AM MST to March 14, 1:45 PM MST
Where
Northern Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Foot Hills

When
March 13, 10:00 AM MST to 1:45 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)

Winter Storm, Central Black Hills

When
March 13, 10:00 AM MST to March 14, 1:45 PM MST
Where
Central Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Black Hills

When
March 13, 10:00 AM MST to 1:45 PM MST
Where
Southern Black Hills 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 13, 10:00 AM MST to March 14, 1:45 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, Oglala Lakota

When
March 13, 10:00 AM MST to 1:45 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, Northern Foot Hills

When
March 13, 11:00 AM MST to March 14, 1:45 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)

Winter Storm, Central Foot Hills

When
March 13, 11:00 AM MST to March 14, 1:45 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)

Winter Storm, Custer Plains

When
March 13, 11:00 AM MST to March 14, 1:45 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, Haakon

When
March 13, 11:00 AM MST to March 14, 1:45 PM MST
Where
Haakon forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jackson

When
March 13, 2:00 PM MST to March 14, 6:45 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, Bennett

When
March 13, 2:00 PM MST to March 14, 6:45 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
March 13, 2:00 PM MST to March 14, 6:45 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, Todd

When
March 13, 2:00 PM MST to March 14, 6:45 PM MST
Where
Todd forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Tripp

When
March 13, 2:00 PM MST to March 14, 6:45 PM 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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, March 2002

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: 5286151, 5286152, 5286153, 5286154, 5286155, 5286156, 5286157, 5286158, 5286159, 5286165, 5286160, 5286161, 5286162, 5286163, 5286164.