Drought in South Dakota, July 1 to 31, 2006

Name: Drought in South Dakota, July 1 to 31, 2006
Start: 2006-07-01T00:00
End: 2006-07-31T23:59
Location: South Dakota

July 1 to 31, 2006 · NWS ABR · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 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: 16

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 ABR wrote it up.

With continued little or no rainfall along with much above normal temperatures, the drought expanded and intensified through July across central and north central South Dakota. Severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought early in July worsened to extreme (D3) to exceptional (D4) across all of the area by the middle of July and remained through the end of the month. Rainfall was 1.50 inches to 2.25 inches below normal for the month and from 7 to 8 inches below normal for the year. Soil moisture was 4 to 5 inches below normal and lake and river flows were well below normal. Crops and pastures were devastated due to the extreme dryness and burn bans were in effect across all of the area. Many ranchers had to sell off much of their cattle. Throughout July, periodic strong winds, low relative humidities, along with many lightning storms resulted in tens, if not over one-hundred fires across central and north central South Dakota. Tens of thousands of acres of pastureland and cropland were burned as a result of the fires. Hundreds of fire fighters worked throughout the month to contain the fires. The governor of South Dakota declared a statewide emergency and the United States Department of Agriculture declared all of the counties drought disasters. Swan Lake, in north central South Dakota between Lowry and Hoven, had completely dried up from the long period of dryness. The last time this happened to the lake was 30 years prior in 1976. Also, Lake Oahe at Pierre was four feet above its all time low.

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 Jun 30, 2:20 PM CST, 9 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 2:20 PM CST, 9 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
320 PM CDT FRI JUN 30 2006

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT
FOCUS FOR THE SHORT TERM WILL BE ON THUNDERSTORM CHANCE TONIGHT.
CURRENTLY THERE IS AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE THAT HAS PUSHED OUT OF THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES AND INTO NE MT/NW ND/SRN SASK. THIS WAVE IS
EXPECTED TO PUSH EAST ALONG THE US/CAN BORDER THROUGH TONIGHT. SFC
LOW PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER WAVE IS CURRENTLY STRETCHING
FROM SRN MANITOBA SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL DAKOTAS AND INTO WRN
NEBRASKA. HAVE A FAIRLY DEFINED DRY LINE TO THE WEST OF
ABERDEEN...INDICATED BY A DEWPOINT AT KABR OF 71F AND AT KMBG OF
51F. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS TO THE WEST OF THAT STRETCHING
ACROSS CENTRAL SD INTO NW SD. THESE TWO BOUNDARIES ARE EXPECTED TO
BE THE FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. 18Z SOUNDING FROM KBIS...INDICATING GOOD INSTABILITY BUT
LIMITED MOISTURE. HOWEVER WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S AND LOWER
70S ACROSS MUCH OF THE KABR CWA...SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT MOISTURE
FOR TS DEVELOPMENT. SHEAR PROFILES CONTINUE TO LOOK WEAK...WITH SOME
SPEED SHEAR BUT LITTLE DIRECTIONAL SHEAR. THEREFORE EXPECT MOSTLY
LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WIND THREAT WITH ANY SEVERE ACTIVITY. EXPECT
THIS EVENING TO BE THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE
CWA...AS THE DRY LINE AND ENSUING COLD FRONT SLIDE THROUGH THE AREA.
COULD SEE SOME LINGERING ACTIVITY INTO LATE TONIGHT...WITH PASSAGE
OF THE UPPER WAVE. OTHERWISE WILL SEE COOLER TEMPS FOR
SATURDAY...WITH ANOTHER SLIGHT CHANCE FOR -TSRA LATE SATURDAY NIGHT
AND AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT AS WEAK SHORTWAVES TRAVEL THROUGH THE REGION
IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. KEPT TEMPERATURE FORECAST SIMILAR TO THE
PREVIOUS PACKAGE...WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S TO AROUND 90 AND MIN TEMPS
IN THE 50S AND 60S.

.LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
TEMPERATURES ARE THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE FOR THE EXTENDED
PACKAGE THIS AFTERNOON.

MODELS SEEM CONSISTENT ON WARM AND DRY EXTENDED FORECAST. BUILDING
5H RIDGE EAST OF CWA SLIDES THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY 12Z
FRIDAY. 85H AND 7H LAYERS ALL POINT TOWARD SLOW BUT STEADY WARMUP
HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND. THERE ARE SOME MINOR IMPULSES THAT
TRAVERSE THE RIDGE MID WEEK...DROPPING THROUGH CWA IN NW FLOW.
HOWEVER WITH BROAD SFC HIGH PRESSURE TAKING UP RESIDENCE ACROSS THE
IA/MO AREA...VERY DIFFICULT TO ADVECT ANY DECENT MOISTURE THIS FAR
NORTH...SO DRY FCST STILL SEEMS REASONABLE. TEMPERATURES WILL START
OFF SLIGHTLY BELOW SEASONABLE NORMS...WARMING TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE
SEASONABLE NORMS BY END OF EXTENDED.

&&

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

ALBRECHT/HINTZ

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 30, 3:43 AM CST, 20 hours 17 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
443 AM CDT FRI JUN 30 2006

MNZ039-046-SDZ003>011-015>023-033>037-045-048-051-010945-
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-CORSON-CAMPBELL-MCPHERSON-BROWN-MARSHALL-
ROBERTS-WALWORTH-EDMUNDS-DAY-DEWEY-POTTER-FAULK-SPINK-CLARK-
CODINGTON-GRANT-HAMLIN-DEUEL-STANLEY-SULLY-HUGHES-HYDE-HAND-JONES-
LYMAN-BUFFALO-
443 AM CDT FRI JUN 30 2006 /343 AM MDT FRI JUN 30 2006/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE EVENING
HOURS ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...AS WELL AS WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA. SOME STORMS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERE WITH
LARGE HAIL AND HIGH WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREATS. A COUPLE OF
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING. SMALL
HAIL AND LIGHTNING WOULD BE THE MAIN THREATS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS
CENTRAL AND EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...AS WELL AS EXTREME WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA.

TT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 30, 6:12 PM CST, 5 hours 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
712 PM CDT FRI JUN 30 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0620 PM     HAIL             6 N REE HEIGHTS         44.60N 99.20W
06/30/2006  E1.50 INCH       HAND               SD   PUBLIC

&&

PARKIN

Local storm report, Jun 30, 6:57 PM CST, 5 hours 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
757 PM CDT FRI JUN 30 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0740 PM     HAIL             5 NW FORT THOMPSON      44.10N 99.48W
06/30/2006  E0.75 INCH       BUFFALO            SD   PUBLIC

&&

PARKIN

Local storm report, Jun 30, 10:45 PM CST, 1 hour 15 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

16 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Corson

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Corson forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.709, -101.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Buffalo

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Buffalo forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 44.076, -99.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Campbell

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Campbell forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.771, -100.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dewey

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dewey forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.157, -100.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Edmunds

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Edmunds forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.419, -99.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Faulk

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Faulk forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.071, -99.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hand

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hand forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 44.548, -99.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hughes

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hughes forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hyde

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hyde forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 44.547, -99.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jones

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jones forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 43.961, -100.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lyman

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lyman forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 43.896, -99.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, McPherson

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McPherson forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.766, -99.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Potter

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.065, -99.957 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Stanley

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Stanley forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 44.412, -100.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Sully

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sully forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 44.716, -100.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Walworth

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Walworth forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.430, -100.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, July 2006

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: 5521959, 5521960, 5521961, 5521962, 5521963, 5521964, 5521965, 5521966, 5521967, 5521968, 5521969, 5521970, 5521971, 5522041, 5522042, 5522043.