Blizzard in South Dakota, November 28 to 29, 2005

Name: Blizzard in South Dakota, November 28 to 29, 2005
Start: 2005-11-28T06:00
End: 2005-11-29T04:00
Location: South Dakota

November 28 to 29, 2005 · NWS FSD · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 23 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1.9 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 23

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.

Snowfall varying from 4 to 15 inches combined with winds gusting over 50 mph to produce blizzard conditions. The heaviest snowfalls were mostly near and west of the James River, in the area where a severe ice storm immediately preceded the blizzard. Several reports of 6 to 8 foot drifts were received from this area. Visibilities were lowered frequently to zero and travel was made impossible in many areas. Roads, including Interstate Highways 90 and 29 were closed for extended periods of time. Most schools and businesses that were not already closed because of the ice storm were forced to close. The winds during the blizzard continued to bring down power lines and poles, most of which had been coated and weighted down by ice in the area hit by the ice storm. In addition, minor damage was caused to homes and vehicles by the strong winds and by wind blown debris, mainly from trees. A 79 year old man died from exposure three and a half miles north of Harrison in Douglas County when he became stuck in a barbed wire fence after the tractor he was driving on his farm became entangled in the fence late on the afternoon of the 28th.

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 Nov 28, 3:50 AM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 28, 3:50 AM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 28, 5:38 AM CST, 22 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
0538 AM CST MON NOV 28 2005

SDZ038>040-050-052>071-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-098-
IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-NEZ013-014-291200-
AURORA-BEADLE-BON HOMME-BROOKINGS-BRULE-BUENA VISTA IA-
CHARLES MIX-CHEROKEE IA-CLAY-CLAY IA-COTTONWOOD MN-DAKOTA NE-
DAVISON-DICKINSON IA-DIXON NE-DOUGLAS-GREGORY-HANSON-HUTCHINSON-
IDA IA-JACKSON MN-JERAULD-KINGSBURY-LAKE-LINCOLN-LINCOLN MN-
LYON IA-LYON MN-MCCOOK-MINER-MINNEHAHA-MOODY-MURRAY MN-NOBLES MN-
OBRIEN IA-OSCEOLA IA-PIPESTONE MN-PLYMOUTH IA-ROCK MN-SANBORN-
SIOUX IA-TURNER-UNION-WOODBURY IA-YANKTON-
0538 AM CST MON NOV 28 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST IOWA...AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WINTER WEATHER...
A WINTER STORM WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO
AREAS NEAR AND WEST OF THE JAMES RIVER TODAY. THE SNOW WILL BE ON
TOP OF HEAVY ICING THAT TOOK PLACE IN PART OF THE AREA DURING THE
NIGHT. FURTHER EAST IN SOUTH DAKOTA...RAIN FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW
WILL QUICKLY CHANGE TO SNOW THIS MORNING WITH HEAVY SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS AND BLOWING SNOW EXPECTED BY AFTERNOON. BLIZZARD
AND WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH
DAKOTA AND TRAVEL WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE.

IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST IOWA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW DURING THE DAY. A FEW INCHES
OF SNOW ACCOMPANIED BY BLOWING SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED...WITH THE
MOST ACCUMULATIONS IN AREAS NEAR SOUTH DAKOTA. TRAVEL WILL BECOME
HAZARDOUS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE
AREA.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE RAPIDLY BY EARLY EVENING...ALTHOUGH
LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN AREAS.
ONLY VERY LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT.

WIND AND FOG...
STRONG WINDS OVER SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD
INTO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST IOWA BY THE END OF THE
DAY. SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH AT LEAST 30 MPH. GUSTS
AROUND 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE BLIZZARD WARNING AREA NEAR
AND WEST OF THE JAMES RIVER.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE WEST MAY BRING SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HEAVY SNOW IS NOT
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

&&

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/FSD. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

WILLIAMS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 28, 12:10 AM CST, 5 hours 50 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

23 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Aurora

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Aurora forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.718, -98.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Beadle

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Beadle forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.415, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Bon Homme

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Bon Homme forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.988, -97.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Brule

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Brule forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.718, -99.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Charles Mix

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Charles Mix forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.208, -98.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Davison

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Davison forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.675, -98.146 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Douglas

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.387, -98.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Gregory

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Gregory forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.192, -99.186 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hanson

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Hanson forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.675, -97.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hutchinson

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Hutchinson forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.335, -97.754 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Jerauld

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Jerauld forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.066, -98.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kingsbury

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Kingsbury forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.370, -97.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Miner

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Miner forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sanborn

When: November 28, 6:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Sanborn forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.023, -98.091 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Yankton

When: November 28, 10:00 AM CST to November 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Yankton forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.009, -97.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Brookings

When: November 28, 2:00 PM CST to November 29, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Brookings forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.370, -96.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Clay

When: November 28, 2:00 PM CST to November 29, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.915, -96.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lake

When: November 28, 2:00 PM CST to November 29, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lincoln

When: November 28, 2:00 PM CST to November 29, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.279, -96.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McCook

When: November 28, 2:00 PM CST to November 29, 4:00 AM CST
Where: McCook forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.674, -97.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Minnehaha

When: November 28, 2:00 PM CST to November 29, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Minnehaha forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.674, -96.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Moody

When: November 28, 2:00 PM CST to November 29, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Moody forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.022, -96.671 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Turner

When: November 28, 2:00 PM CST to November 29, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Turner forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.311, -97.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Blizzard, Douglas	2005-11-28	79	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, November 2005

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: 5485083, 5485084, 5485085, 5485087, 5485088, 5485090, 5485091, 5485092, 5485093, 5485094, 5485095, 5485096, 5485100, 5485103, 5485105, 5485086, 5485089, 5485097, 5485098, 5485099, 5485101, 5485102, 5485104.