Hail and Damaging Wind in South Dakota, July 2, 2009

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in South Dakota, July 2, 2009
Start: 2009-07-02T11:35
End: 2009-07-02T12:46
Location: South Dakota

July 2, 2009 · NWS UNR · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

A severe thunderstorm developed over the central Black Hills and produced large hail and strong wind gusts from Silver City to west of Hermosa.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 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.

A severe thunderstorm developed over the central Black Hills and produced large hail and strong wind gusts from Silver City to west of Hermosa.

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 Jul 2, 8:40 AM MST, 2 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 8:40 AM MST, 2 hours 55 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 2, 8:58 AM MST, 2 hours 37 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
958 AM MDT THU JUL 2 2009

SDZ001-002-012>014-024>032-041>044-046-047-049-072>074-WYZ054>058-
071-031300-
BENNETT-BUTTE-CENTRAL BLACK HILLS-CUSTER CO PLAINS-FALL RIVER-HAAKON-
HARDING-HERMOSA FOOT HILLS-JACKSON-MELLETTE-NORTHEASTERN CROOK-
NORTHERN BLACK HILLS-NORTHERN CAMPBELL-NORTHERN FOOT HILLS-
NORTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-PENNINGTON CO PLAINS-PERKINS-RAPID CITY-
SHANNON-SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS-SOUTHERN CAMPBELL-SOUTHERN FOOT HILLS-
SOUTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-STURGIS/PIEDMONT FOOT HILLS-TODD-TRIPP-
WESTERN CROOK-WESTON-WYOMING BLACK HILLS-ZIEBACH-
958 AM MDT (1058 AM CDT) THU JUL 2 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHEASTERN WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
NORTHEASTERN WYOMING AND MOST OF WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE
PRIMARY CONCERN. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT AS WELL.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.
THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
NORTHEASTERN WYOMING AND EXTREME WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY.

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 56 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:35 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Pennington

When: July 2, 11:35 AM MST to 11:45 AM MST
Where: Pennington County, 2.76 mi NE of Silver City to 2.81 mi NE of Silver City
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.111, -103.534

Thunderstorm Wind, Pennington

When: July 2, 11:35 AM MST
Where: Pennington County, 2 mi NE of Silver City
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.100, -103.541

Hail, Pennington

When: July 2, 11:48 AM MST
Where: Pennington County, Pactola Reservoir
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.070, -103.480

Drifts of hail covered the ground around Pactola Reservoir.

Hail, Pennington

When: July 2, 12:29 PM MST
Where: Pennington County, Mt Rushmore
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 43.880, -103.450

Hail, Custer

When: July 2, 12:46 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 7.5 mi W of Hermosa
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 43.830, -103.331

Quarter sized hail covered the ground.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, July 2009

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 170297, 170300, 170301, 170302, 170304.