South Dakota, 2011

Winter Storm in South Dakota, April 14 to 15, 2011

April 14 to 15, 2011 · NWS ABR · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

A strong upper level low pressure area brought widespread heavy snowfall to central and parts of northeast South Dakota. This early spring storm brought 6 to 14 inches of heavy snow to the area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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
19

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 upper level low pressure area brought widespread heavy snowfall to central and parts of northeast South Dakota. This early spring storm brought 6 to 14 inches of heavy snow to the area. The heavy wet snow caused a lot of travel problems along with a few accidents. Some snowfall amounts included, 6 inches at Gann Valley, Kennebec, Ipswich, Turton, Mobridge, Roscoe, and McLaughlin; 7 inches at Pollock, Groton, McIntosh, Miller, Mission Ridge, and Mellette; 8 inches at Blunt, Onaka, Selby, Murdo, and Timber Lake; 9 inches at Claremont, Gettysburg, Bowdle, 9 NW Britton; 10 inches at Faulkton; 11 inches at Onida, Ree Heights, and Artas. Locations with a foot or more of snowfall included, 12 inches 12 SSW Harrold, 23 N Highmore, and Orient; 13 inches 14 NNE Isabel and Eureka with 14 inches at Eagle Butte.

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 Apr 13, 2:33 PM CST, 23 hours 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 13, 2:33 PM CST, 23 hours 57 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

19 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Corson

When
April 14, 2:30 PM CST to April 15, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Corson forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.709, -101.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dewey

When
April 14, 2:30 PM CST to April 15, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Dewey forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.157, -100.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Campbell

When
April 14, 4:00 PM CST to April 15, 12:30 PM CST
Where
Campbell forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.771, -100.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Walworth

When
April 14, 4:00 PM CST to April 15, 12:30 PM CST
Where
Walworth forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.430, -100.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Potter

When
April 14, 4:00 PM CST to April 15, 12:30 PM CST
Where
Potter forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.065, -99.957 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stanley

When
April 14, 6:00 PM CST to April 15, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Stanley forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.412, -100.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jones

When
April 14, 6:00 PM CST to April 15, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Jones forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.961, -100.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Edmunds

When
April 14, 8:00 PM CST to April 15, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Edmunds forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.419, -99.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McPherson

When
April 14, 8:00 PM CST to April 15, 5:30 PM CST
Where
McPherson forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.766, -99.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lyman

When
April 14, 8:00 PM CST to April 15, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Lyman forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.896, -99.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sully

When
April 14, 8:00 PM CST to April 15, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Sully forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.716, -100.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hughes

When
April 14, 8:00 PM CST to April 15, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Hughes forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Faulk

When
April 14, 10:00 PM CST to April 15, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Faulk forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.071, -99.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hyde

When
April 14, 11:00 PM CST to April 15, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Hyde forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.547, -99.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hand

When
April 14, 11:00 PM CST to April 15, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Hand forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.548, -99.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Buffalo

When
April 14, 11:00 PM CST to April 15, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Buffalo forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.076, -99.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Spink

When
April 15, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Spink forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.938, -98.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Brown

When
April 15, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
45.590, -98.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Marshall

When
April 15, 4:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Marshall forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.759, -97.598 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, April 2011

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: 298998, 299009, 299012, 299013, 299014, 299029, 299033, 299015, 299016, 299035, 299036, 299038, 299023, 299040, 299045, 299051, 299059, 299056, 299062.