South Dakota, 2006

High Wind in South Dakota, May 24, 2006

May 24, 2006 · NWS UNR · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A very tight pressure gradient in place across western South Dakota allowed strong northwest winds to develop across the northwest and west central South Dakota plains. Sustained winds of 30 to 45 mph, with gusts to 75 mph, developed in the morning and persisted into the afternoon.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 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
12

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 very tight pressure gradient in place across western South Dakota allowed strong northwest winds to develop across the northwest and west central South Dakota plains. Sustained winds of 30 to 45 mph, with gusts to 75 mph, developed in the morning and persisted into the afternoon.

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 May 23, 1:53 PM MST, 15 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 23, 1:53 PM MST, 15 hours 7 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

12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills

When
May 24, 5:00 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
Where
Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills forecast zone
Measured
67 kt (77 mph) measured gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Butte / Except X Sw Butte

When
May 24, 8:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where
Butte / Except X Sw Butte forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northern Meade Co Plains

When
May 24, 8:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Measured
63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ziebach

When
May 24, 8:00 AM MST to 12:00 PM MST
Where
Ziebach forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.980, -101.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northern Foot Hills / N Lawrence / X Sw Butte / Part of Sw Meade

When
May 24, 8:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Foot Hills / N Lawrence / X Sw Butte / Part of Sw Meade forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Pennington Co Plains

When
May 24, 9:00 AM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Pennington Co Plains forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Harding

When
May 24, 9:00 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Rapid City

When
May 24, 9:00 AM MST to 6:00 PM MST
Where
Rapid City forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Haakon

When
May 24, 10:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where
Haakon forecast zone
Measured
37 kt (43 mph) measured sustained
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Meade Co Plains

When
May 24, 10:00 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Perkins

When
May 24, 10:00 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
Where
Perkins forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jackson

When
May 24, 12:00 PM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, May 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: 5508748, 5509229, 5509230, 5509231, 5509232, 5508745, 5509227, 5509233, 5508746, 5508749, 5509228, 5508747.