Hail, Butte
- When
- July 8, 4:50 PM MST
- Where
- Butte County, 20 mi NW of Belle Fourche
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.867, -104.150
Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 8, 2003
A long-lived supercell thunderstorm developed along a warm front over extreme southeastern Montana and tracked southeastward across western South Dakota during the late afternoon and evening hours. The storm produced large hail and very strong winds, especially as it tracked across Butte County, southeastern Meade County, northeastern Pennington County, and western Haakon County.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $325,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 21
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 long-lived supercell thunderstorm developed along a warm front over extreme southeastern Montana and tracked southeastward across western South Dakota during the late afternoon and evening hours. The storm produced large hail and very strong winds, especially as it tracked across Butte County, southeastern Meade County, northeastern Pennington County, and western Haakon County. There were many reports of wind damage and wind gusts estimated to 100 mph.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
13 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Butte
- When
- July 8, 5:05 PM MST
- Where
- Butte County, 24 mi N of Belle Fourche
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 45.017, -103.867
Hail, Butte
- When
- July 8, 5:40 PM MST
- Where
- Butte County, 14 mi NW of Newell
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.867, -103.633
Thunderstorm Wind, Butte
- When
- July 8, 5:42 PM MST
- Where
- Butte County, Newell
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 44.717, -103.433
Power lines were downed by the winds.
Thunderstorm Wind, Meade
- When
- July 8, 5:45 PM MST
- Where
- Meade County, Stoneville
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.733, -102.650
Strong winds ripped an 80 foot section off a barn roof. Eight foot high poles were also ripped from the ground.
Hail, Meade
- When
- July 8, 5:45 PM MST
- Where
- Meade County, Union Center
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 44.567, -102.667
Hail, Meade
- When
- July 8, 6:55 PM MST to 7:05 PM MST
- Where
- Meade County, Enning
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.583, -102.550
Hail, Meade
- When
- July 8, 7:00 PM MST
- Where
- Meade County, 4 mi SW of Enning
- Measured
- 2.5 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.550, -102.600
Large hail broke skylights in a house.
Hail, Meade
- When
- July 8, 7:05 PM MST
- Where
- Meade County, Union Center
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.567, -102.667
Hail, Meade
- When
- July 8, 7:25 PM MST
- Where
- Meade County, 6 mi NE of White Owl
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.667, -102.350
Hail, Meade
- When
- July 8, 7:25 PM MST
- Where
- Meade County, 2 mi NE of White Owl
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.617, -102.400
Hail, Pennington
- When
- July 8, 7:25 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington County, 9 mi NW of Creighton
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.350, -102.333
Thunderstorm Wind, Pennington
- When
- July 8, 7:25 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington County, 9 mi NW of Creighton
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.350, -102.333
Thunderstorm Wind, Meade
- When
- July 8, 7:30 PM MST
- Where
- Meade County, 28 mi SW of Faith
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 44.750, -102.433
Hail, Pennington
- When
- July 8, 7:55 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington County, 7 mi E of Creighton
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.250, -102.067
Thunderstorm Wind, Pennington
- When
- July 8, 8:05 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington County, 15 mi NE of Quinn
- Measured
- 80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
- Coordinates
- 44.150, -101.900
Power poles were downed by winds.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pennington
- When
- July 8, 8:05 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington County, 13 mi NE of Quinn
- Measured
- 87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.133, -101.933
Very strong winds destroyed an airplane hangar, flipped over farm equipment and a horse trailer, uprooted trees, and caused some damage to other buildings in the area.
Hail, Haakon
- When
- July 8, 8:05 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon County, 18 mi NW of Philip
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.217, -101.917
Thunderstorm Wind, Pennington
- When
- July 8, 8:10 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington County, 7 mi E of Creighton
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.250, -102.067
Hail, Haakon
- When
- July 8, 8:30 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon County, Philip
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 44.033, -101.667
Thunderstorm Wind, Haakon
- When
- July 8, 8:30 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon County, 15 mi NW of Philip
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 44.183, -101.883
Strong winds destroyed a Quonset barn and blew a trailer off its blocks. Several large round hay bales were blown over a fence.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Ohio, July 8 to 9, 2003
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, July 8, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, July 8, 2003
- Flood in Indiana, July 8 to 31, 2003
- Wildfire in California, July 8 to 11, 2003
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Indiana, July 8 to 9, 2003
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Illinois, July 8, 2003
- Wildfire in California, July 8 to 10, 2003
- Flash Flood in West Virginia, July 8, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, July 8, 2003
- Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Missouri, July 8, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, July 8, 2003
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, July 2003
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: 5372886, 5372887, 5372888, 5372889, 5372890, 5372891, 5372892, 5372893, 5372894, 5372895, 5372896, 5372897, 5372994, 5372999, 5372995, 5372996, 5372997, 5373000, 5372998, 5373001, 5373002.