Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph, with gusts over 40 mph, combined with existing loose snow cover and generally light new snowfall to cause frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Every event with a place to put it; 24 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS FSD wrote it up.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph, with gusts over 40 mph, combined with existing loose snow cover and generally light new snowfall to cause frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
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 Dec 20, 5:10 AM CST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
510 AM CST SAT DEC 20 2008
.DISCUSSION...
OBVIOUS FOCUS FOR FORECAST IS THE UPCOMING DETERIORATING CONDITIONS
AND BLIZZARD THREAT ACRS THE FCST AREA. THIS MORNING...ARCTIC BNDRY
INTO THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY...WITH WINDS ALREADY A GOOD 25 TO 35 KTS
ON BASIS OF MAINLY SHALLOW FORCING. STRONG WAVE ON WV STARTING TO
SLIDE THRU WRN SD...AND THIS SHUD AID IN COUPLING AN INCREASINGLY
STRONGER GRADIENT ALFT TOWARD THE SFC. PV IMPULSE WITH STRONG JET
IMPULSE DRIVING A STRONG CLEARING BNDRY INTO CNTRL SD...BUT ALSO
INTERACTING WITH DECENT BAROCLINIC/FRONTOGENETIC ZONE TO PRODUCE A
FAIRLY WIDESPREAD BAND OF SNOWFALL ACRS CWA. HOWEVER...EFFICIENCY OF
PCPN HAS BEEN A BIT LACKING WITH RATES NOT BEEN VERY HIGH AND FOR
MOST PART HAVE NOT SEEN HIGHLY DENDRITIC GROWTH WITHIN SNOW AREA.
CONDITIONS ARE SOMEWHAT BETTER TOWARD THE N/NE WITH SOMEWHAT
STRONGER FORCING OVERLAP...AND MAX LIFT NICELY WITHIN DENDRITIC
ZONE. THEREFORE...WL KEEP HIGHER SNOWFALL AMNTS GOING MAINLY OVER
NERN 1/2 OF CWA AS BEFORE...BUT TAPER DOWN A BIT THRU W AND FAR S.
WINDS HAVE BEEN COMING UP A BIT SOONER THAN EARLIER THOUGHT...SO
DESPITE SOME SNOW TOTALS ENDING UP BLO ADVY...WL KEEP EXISTING
WINTER WX ADVY HIGHLIGHT GOING TO COVER COMBO OF SNOW AND BLOWING
SNOW. TRANSITION TO BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS INEVITABLE FOR MOST
TODAY...STARTING UP RIGHT AWAY IN WRN THIRD...AND SPREADING STEADILY
EWRD AS INITIAL WAVE SLIDES BY DURING THE MORNING HOURS. SNOWFALL
WL END BEFORE STRONGEST WINDS FOR MOST...BUT ENOUGH FLUFF TO CONCERN
MOST. STILL HAVE CONCERNS THAT WINDS MAY TRY AND DECREASE HEADING
INTO AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF THE NIGHT AS SOME WK RIDGING ALFT
SLIDES IN AHEAD OF TRAILING LOBE WHICH SHOULD REALLY GET WINDS GOING
LATE TONIGHT AND THRU SUNDAY MORNING...AS LOW TO MID LVL GRADIENT
TIGHTENS. WHAT MAY KEEP WINDS UP A BIT MORE THAN EXPECTED IS THE
OVERALL STRONG LOW LVL CAA THRU THE EVENING AND INCREASE OF
GEOSTROPHIC POTENTIAL ALFT. CONSIDERING ALL THE SNOW LATELY...MOST
OF THE AREA SHUD HAVE LITTLE DIFFICULTY PRODUCING VSBYS FREQUENTLY
AOB ONE QUARTER MILE AND AT LEAST GUSTS OVER 35 MPH...WITH EXCEPTION
OF MORE SHELTERED CITY LOCATIONS. WITH LESSER SNOW AND SNOWCOVER
THRU THE FAR SW...CONSIDERED CUTTING BACK TO A WIND CHILL/WINTER WX
HIGHLIGHT OVER BLIZZARD...BUT NO SENSE IN GETTING TOO CUTE WITH THE
SERIOUS THREAT OVERALL. COMBINATION OF WINDS/VSBYS LKLY TO BE VERY
LIFE THREATENING FOR MOST OF THE AREA...ESPLY WHEN THE WORST MAY HIT
LATER TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...LINGERING THRU ERN CWA IN THE
AFTN.
AS USUAL...TEMPERATURE AND MOISTURE REPRESENTATION BEHIND BNDRY IS
MUCH TOO SLOW IN FALLING...AND INITIAL CHANGES MADE TO ACCELERATE
THE FALL AND KEEP IT GOING THRU AFTN. NOT SURE WHERE GUIDANCE RISING
TMPS COMING FROM IN NAM/FWC...BUT MAV SEEMS TO CAPTURE THE OVERALL
TREND IN TMPS FAIRLY WELL FOR NEXT COUPLE DAYS. WINTER SOLSTICE ON
SUNDAY WL CERTAINLY BE MEMORABLE FOR THE CHILL...AND MAY GET CLOSE
ENOUGH TO RIVAL 1983 AND 1989 OCCURRENCES.
TALK ABOUT COLD...WITH SFC RIDGE BUILDING IN SUN NIGHT AND WINDS
DROPPING TO A MERE BREATH MOST AREAS...SETUP FOR COLDEST NIGHT OF
THE YEAR THUSFAR. MAY BE CONSERVATIVE WITH SOME 20 BELOW LOWS.
STRONG RIDGE SHIFTS EWRD ON MONDAY...WITH STRONG SLY FLOW DEVELOPING
THRU THE DAY AND INTO THE NIGHT ACRS THE AREA. INCREASING CLOUDS IN
AFTN AS NEXT WAVE EJECTS IN THE ACTIVE FLOW INTO THE PLAINS. INITIAL
DRY AIRMASS LKLY TO KEEP PCPN OUT OF THE MIX ON MONDAY AFTN...BUT WL
HAVE TO WATCH FAR NWRN CWA FOR A QUICK LATE DAY SATURATION FM ALFT
WITH FIRST DIV Q PULSE MOVING INTO FAR WRN CWA. A GOOD SPREAD IN
WHERE BEST JET/FRONTAL DYNAMICS MAY AFFECT AREA...WITH BULK FOCUSING
A BIT MORE TO N. OPERATIONAL GFS DYNAMICS ARE A BIT DISCONNECTED...
BUT ENOUGH FRONTAL FORCING WITH WAVE COMING QUICKLY NE TO BUMP POPS
TO LOWER LKLY FOR MAINLY NRN/NERN CWA. OVERALL...A MINOR SYSTEM
COMPARED TO THOSE OF LATE WITH A COUPLE INCHES AT MOST POSSIBLE
NORTH. TMPS QUITE NON DIURNAL MON NIGHT...AND MAY EVEN ATTEMPT TUE
BEHIND SYSTEM AS STRONG LITTLE COLD PUNCH WORKS SWRD ONCE AGAIN.
COULD HAVE GONE COLDER ON LOWS FOR WED MORNING...ESPLY IN MORE WRN
AREAS CLOSER TO WKR SFC WINDS.
&&
.AVIATION...
WDSPRD S- WL CREATE MVFR TO OCNL IFR CONDITIONS THRU 15Z. W OF
I29...SFC WNDS WL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND INCREASE TO 20 TO 40
AND WL CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH VSBYS FREQUENTLY BLO 1/2SM
IN BLSN. THE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS SHUD SPREAD INTO AREAS E OF I29 BY
18Z.
&&
.FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...BLIZZARD WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 12 PM CST SUNDAY FOR IAZ001-
012>014-020>022-031-032.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR IAZ001-012-020-
031.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR IAZ002-003-013-
014-021-022-032.
BLIZZARD WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 3 PM CST SUNDAY FOR IAZ002-
003.
MN...BLIZZARD WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 12 PM CST SUNDAY FOR MNZ098.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR MNZ098.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR MNZ071-072-080-
081-089-090-097.
BLIZZARD WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 3 PM CST SUNDAY FOR MNZ071-
072-080-081-089-090-097.
NE...BLIZZARD WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 12 PM CST SUNDAY FOR NEZ013-
014.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR NEZ013-014.
SD...BLIZZARD WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 12 PM CST SUNDAY FOR SDZ039-
040-054>056-061-062-066-067-070-071.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR SDZ039-040-
054>056-061-062-066-067-070-071.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR
SDZ038-050-052-053-057>060-063>065-068-069.
BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY FOR SDZ038-050-052-053-
057>060-063>065-068-069.
&&
CHAPMAN/HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 0558 AM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 SDZ038>040-050-052>071-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-098- IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-NEZ013-014-211200- 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- 0558 AM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA... SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST IOWA...AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER WEATHER... SNOWFALL...MAINLY EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER EARLY THIS MORNING WILL GRADUALLY END FROM WEST TO EAST. GREATEST SNOWFALL WILL BE FROM EAST CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...WHERE AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED. AN INCH OR LESS ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR TO THE SOUTH. BEHIND AN ARCTIC FRONT...STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS AT TIMES TO 40 MPH WILL SPREAD FROM WEST TO EAST. WITH THE ABUNDANCE OF RECENT SNOWFALL...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH VISIBILITIES OF A QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES ARE EXPECTED...LINGERING ALL THE WAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS CAN BE IN ADDITION...TEMPERATURES FALL THROUGH THE DAY AND MORE OR LESS CONTINUE FALLING ALL THE WAY TO ACTUAL MONDAY MORNING LOWS FROM 15 BELOW TO TO 22 BELOW ZERO. WITH THE STRONG WINDS...WIND CHILLS WILL REACH A LIFE THREATENING 25 BELOW TO 40 BELOW ZERO BY TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE SUNDAY IN AREAS EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY. ANOTHER WEATHER DISTURBANCE SHOULD MOVE EAST OVER THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT. && FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SIOUXFALLS. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 winter weather, 11 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph, combined with loose snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow, caused frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
Northwest winds sustained at near 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph combined with light snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snow to produce areas of blowing snow, with visibility lowering to a half mile in some places.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Dakota in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, December 2008
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: 148376, 148377, 148378, 148379, 148380, 148381, 148383, 148384, 148320, 148323, 148327, 148336, 148367, 148370, 148371, 148368, 148372, 148373, 148374, 148386, 148387, 148388, 148389, 148390.