South Dakota, 2008

High Wind in South Dakota, January 4 to 5, 2008

January 4 to 5, 2008 · NWS UNR · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Strong southwesterly winds developed along the northern and eastern slopes of the Black Hills during the evening and continued overnight. The strongest winds were just south and west of Spearfish, where gusts exceeded 80 mph in the evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

Strong southwesterly winds developed along the northern and eastern slopes of the Black Hills during the evening and continued overnight. The strongest winds were just south and west of Spearfish, where gusts exceeded 80 mph in the evening. A peak gust of 91 mph was recorded five miles west of Spearfish.

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 Jan 4, 1:31 PM MST, 5 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 4, 1:31 PM MST, 5 hours 29 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 4, 3:28 AM MST, 15 hours 32 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

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Northern Foot Hills

When
January 4, 7:00 PM MST to January 5, 5:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
Measured
79 kt (91 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northern Black Hills

When
January 4, 7:00 PM MST to January 5, 5:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Black Hills forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong gusts toppled numerous trees and damaged the roof of the armory building in Lead.

High Wind, Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills

When
January 4, 10:00 PM MST to January 5, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Central Black Hills

When
January 4, 11:00 PM MST to January 5, 5:00 AM MST
Where
Central Black Hills forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two small trees were downed by the gusty winds.

High Wind, Rapid City

When
January 5, 1:00 AM MST to 2:00 AM MST
Where
Rapid City forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (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 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, January 2008

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: 65941, 77561, 65943, 65944, 65942.