Blizzard and Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 10 to 11, 2010

Name: Blizzard and Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 10 to 11, 2010
Start: 2010-12-10T23:00
End: 2010-12-11T21:00
Location: South Dakota

December 10 to 11, 2010 · NWS FSD · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

Where it happened

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.

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: $5,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 24

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 FSD wrote it up.

Snowfall ranging from 2 to 8 inches was accompanied by sustained northwest winds which reached 40 mph at times, with gusts as high as 55 mph. The snowfall, strong winds, and existing snow cover resulted in widespread blizzard conditions. Travel was made impossible in much of the area. There were several accidents and vehicles going into ditches, attributed to slick roads and low visibilities. Several motorists were stranded. Businesses were forced to close, and several school and other weekend activities were canceled or postponed.

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 10, 1:55 PM CST, 9 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 10, 1:55 PM CST, 9 hours 5 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 10, 1:34 PM CST, 9 hours 26 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

17 blizzard, 7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Beadle

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Beadle forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.415, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 2 to 3 inches, existing snow cover, and northwest winds gusting to around 50 mph combined to cause widespread blizzard conditions with frequent zero visibilities and dangerous wind chills. The storm made travel difficult to impossible, with several accidents reported, and some motorists becoming stranded. Numerous businesses were forced to close, and weekend activities including some school events were canceled or postponed.

Blizzard, Lake

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 2 to 4 inches, existing snow cover, and northwest winds gusting to around 50 mph combined to cause widespread blizzard conditions with frequent zero visibilities and dangerous wind chills. The storm made travel difficult to impossible, with several accidents reported, and some motorists becoming stranded. Numerous businesses were forced to close, and weekend activities including some school events were canceled or postponed.

Blizzard, Miner

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Miner forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sanborn

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Sanborn forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.023, -98.091 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kingsbury

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Kingsbury forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.370, -97.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 2 to 3 inches, existing snow cover, and northwest winds gusting to around 50 mph combined to cause widespread blizzard conditions with frequent zero visibilities. The storm made travel difficult to impossible, with several accidents reported, and some motorists becoming stranded. Numerous businesses were forced to close, and weekend activities including some school events were canceled or postponed.

Blizzard, Davison

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Davison forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.675, -98.146 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hanson

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hanson forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.675, -97.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McCook

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: McCook forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.674, -97.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 2 to 5 inches, existing snow cover, and northwest winds gusting to around 50 mph combined to cause widespread blizzard conditions with frequent zero visibilities and dangerous wind chills. The storm made travel difficult to impossible, with several accidents reported, and some motorists becoming stranded. Numerous businesses were forced to close, and weekend activities including some school events were canceled or postponed.

Blizzard, Minnehaha

When: December 10, 11:00 PM CST to December 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Minnehaha forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.674, -96.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 4 to 8 inches, existing snow cover, and northwest winds gusting to around 50 mph combined to cause widespread blizzard conditions with frequent zero visibilities and dangerous wind chills. The storm made travel difficult to impossible, with several accidents reported, and some motorists becoming stranded. Numerous businesses were forced to close, and weekend activities including some school events were canceled or postponed.