South Dakota, 2010

Blizzard in South Dakota, December 11, 2010

December 11, 2010 · NWS ABR · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A strong Alberta Clipper came across the region bringing snowfall, strong northwest winds, along with bitter cold Arctic air from the early morning until the late afternoon. Snowfall of 1 to 5 inches combined with 25 to 35 mph winds gusting to 45 mph brought widespread blizzard conditions across much of northeast South Dakota.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
8

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 ABR wrote it up.

A strong Alberta Clipper came across the region bringing snowfall, strong northwest winds, along with bitter cold Arctic air from the early morning until the late afternoon. Snowfall of 1 to 5 inches combined with 25 to 35 mph winds gusting to 45 mph brought widespread blizzard conditions across much of northeast South Dakota. Travel was significantly disrupted or halted as a result with many events cancelled. The blizzard was short-lived from the mid morning hours into the early afternoon hours. The snowfall began between midnight and 2 am CST and ended from 2 to 4 pm CST in 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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 10, 7:21 PM CST, 8 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 10, 7:21 PM CST, 8 hours 39 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 10, 2:28 PM CST, 13 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

8 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Day

When
December 11, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Day forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
45.367, -97.607 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Deuel

When
December 11, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Deuel forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.760, -96.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Spink

When
December 11, 8:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Spink forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
44.938, -98.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Codington

When
December 11, 8:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where
Codington forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
44.978, -97.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Roberts

When
December 11, 8:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Roberts forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
45.630, -96.946 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Grant

When
December 11, 8:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Grant forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.172, -96.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Clark

When
December 11, 9:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Clark forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.858, -97.729 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hamlin

When
December 11, 10:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where
Hamlin forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
44.674, -97.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, December 2010

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 273002, 273008, 270762, 273004, 273006, 273007, 273003, 273005.