Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, August 3, 2004

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, August 3, 2004
Start: 2004-08-03T04:30
End: 2004-08-03T08:30
Location: South Dakota

August 3, 2004 · NWS ABR · 15 events in 5 counties and zones

11 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

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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 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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 3, 2:45 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 3, 2:45 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
345 AM CDT TUE AUG 3 2004

.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT
FORECAST CHALLENGE WILL BE TIMING THE END OF MORNING CONVECTION AND
WHEN NEXT ROUND BEGINS TODAY. TRICKY TEMP FORECAST AS WELL.

MORNING MCS/MINI-BOW ECHO NOW APPROACHING WESTERN CWA FRINGE. THIS
CLUSTER OF STORMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE ALONG STATIONARY
BOUNDARY DRAPED ACROSS WESTERN SODAK SEWD INTO NORTHEAST NE...WHERE
BEST POOLING OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND MID-LEVEL INSTABILITY RESIDE.
SVR T-STORM WATCH NUMBER 693 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM CDT FOR CENTRAL/SC
SODAK.

THOUGHTS SURROUNDING DAY 1 TEMP FORECAST MAINLY CONCERNED WITH
CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDINESS AND COOL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LAYER
INHIBITING REALIZATION OF A FULLY-MIXED/FULL INSOLATION DAY. KNOCKED
SEVERAL DEGREES OFF OF 850HPA PROGGED MAX T ACROSS NW CWA AS A
RESULT. ALSO...GFS AND ETA 00Z RUNS COMING IN MUCH COOLER FOR DAY 2
AND DAY 3 WITH 850HPA THERMAL PROGS COOLING INTO +10 TO +15C
RANGE...WHICH WOULD READ AS LOWER 70S FOR HIGHS. MET GUIDANCE
SUPPORTING THAT IDEA...BUT OPTED TO ONLY SHAVE ABOUT A CATEGORY OF
TEMPERATURE OFF OF MAX T GRID. TEMPS MAY STILL NEED TO BE KNOCKED
DOWN SOME MORE.

S/WS ABOUND ACROSS INTERMOUNTAIN WEST AND NORTHERN PLAINS THIS
MORNING THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING. NEXT S/W OF CONCERN LIFTING INTO
MT IN SW FLOW ALOFT...AND SHOULD BE SLAMMING INTO CWA JUST ABOUT OR
SHORTLY AFTER PEAK HEATING TODAY. LOW LEVELS ON ENERLY FLOW SLOW TO
DRY OUT TODAY...SO ONE MORE DECENT SHOT FOR MEASURABLE PRECIP...WITH
FOCUS TONIGHT BEING SHIFTED APPX 100 MILES EAST OF WHERE PRECIP IS
FALLING THIS MORNING...AS PER GFS AND ETA PROGGED MID-LEVEL LIFT AND
UPPER LEVEL JET SUPPORT. NUMEROUS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES NOTED ON
REGIONAL 88DS...SO ONE WOULD THINK THE LOW LEVEL FOCUS MECHANISMS
WILL BE HANGING AROUND TO INITIATE TS AGAIN BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
BY 12Z WEDNESDAY...MAJORLY DRIED OUT LOW LEVELS COMBINED WITH
STABILIZING AFFECT OF COOLER AIR IN SFC TO 700HPA LAYER SHOULD SPELL
AN END TO PRECIP POTENTIAL THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF SHORT TERM...AS
CANADIAN SFC HIGH STILL PROGGED TO SET UP CAMP ACROSS CWA.

.LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY
FEW CHANGES TO THE MEDIUM RANGE.  FRIDAY MORNING OPENS WITH A LEE
SIDE UPPER TROUGH AND AN OLD LOW OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES.
SURFACE FLOW FROM THE SOUTH AND A GRADUAL H5 HEIGHT RISE WILL ALLOW
AIR TO BECOME MORE UNSTABLE.  WENT ALONG WITH CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING.  ANOTHER CHANCE
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH H5 LOW MOVING
THROUGH THE RIDGE SATURDAY.  CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL LAST INTO
SUNDAY MORNING AS COLD FRONT PASSES.  UPPER RIDGE THEN TRIES TO
REESTABLISH BUT AT TIMES MORE RESEMBLES FAST WESTERLY PATTERN.

&&

.ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...NONE.
MN...NONE.
&&

DORN/KEEFE

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 164 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stanley

When: August 3, 4:30 AM CST
Where: Stanley County, 7 mi W of Mission Ridge
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.683, -100.917

Large tree limbs downed by the high winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sully

When: August 3, 4:30 AM CST
Where: Sully County, 2 mi SW of Okobojo
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AIRPLANE PILOT
Coordinates: 44.633, -100.417

Strong winds blew a sign down.

Hail, Stanley

When: August 3, 4:40 AM CST
Where: Stanley County, 26 mi NNW of Hayes
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 44.717, -101.217

Hail, Hughes

When: August 3, 4:40 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where: Hughes County, 6 mi E of Blunt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.517, -99.867

Hail, Sully

When: August 3, 5:05 AM CST
Where: Sully County, 3 mi SE of Onida
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.667, -100.017

Thunderstorm Wind, Sully

When: August 3, 5:05 AM CST
Where: Sully County, 3 mi SE of Onida
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.667, -100.017

Thunderstorm Wind, Stanley

When: August 3, 5:30 AM CST
Where: Stanley County, 1 mi W of Ft Pierre
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 44.350, -100.383

Eighty mph winds blew the roof off of a barn.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stanley

When: August 3, 5:30 AM CST
Where: Stanley County, Ft Pierre
Measured: 88 kt (101 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.350, -100.367

Winds around 100 mph were measured by public wind equipment on the west edge of Fort Pierre. The damage from the winds mainly occurred from South Dakota Highway1806 south to Fort Pierre. Some storage sheds were blown over, skirting was blown off of many trailer houses, and many trees, branches, and power lines along with some poles were downed. The roofs on at least 50 homes and businesses were damaged in Fort Pierre with one house losing a large part of it's roof. Also in Fort Pierre, two light poles were downed, some business signs were damaged or destroyed, a trailer of a traveling harvest group was tipped over, and 11 of 14 doors on a storage facility were blown out.

Hail, Stanley

When: August 3, 5:30 AM CST
Where: Stanley County, 1 mi NW of Mission Ridge
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.700, -100.783

Thunderstorm Wind, Hughes

When: August 3, 5:35 AM CST
Where: Hughes County, Pierre
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 44.367, -100.333

The front door of the hospital was blown off.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hughes

When: August 3, 5:42 AM CST
Where: Hughes County, Pierre
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.367, -100.333

Thunderstorm Wind, Hughes

When: August 3, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hughes County, 23 mi S of Harrold
Measured: 78 kt (90 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.183, -99.733

Many large trees were downed by the thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hand

When: August 3, 7:20 AM CST
Where: Hand County, 12 mi W of Danforth
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.250, -99.133

Large tree limbs downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Buffalo

When: August 3, 7:45 AM CST
Where: Buffalo County, Gann Vly
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.033, -99.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Buffalo

When: August 3, 8:30 AM CST
Where: Buffalo County, 9 mi N of Gann Vly
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.167, -99.000

What these are

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, August 2004

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: 5420264, 5420265, 5420195, 5420270, 5420267, 5420269, 5420196, 5420260, 5420268, 5420261, 5420194, 5420271, 5420266, 5420262, 5420263.