Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, January 1, 2011

Name: Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, January 1, 2011
Start: 2011-01-01T00:00
End: 2011-01-01T12:00
Location: South Dakota

January 1, 2011 · NWS FSD · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Blizzard conditions that developed on New years Eve continued through New Years morning, abating by noon. Winds gusting to over 40 mph and fresh snow cover of 6 to 10 inches produced the blizzard conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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: 15

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.

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 31, 3:09 PM CST, 8 hours 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 31, 3:09 PM CST, 8 hours 51 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
309 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010

.DISCUSSION...
DRY SLOT QUICKLY EXPANDING BACK TO THE WEST SHUTTING DOWN SNOW
PRODUCTION FASTER THAN ANTICIPATED. HAVE CUT BACK FORECASTED SNOW
THIS EVENING AND EVENT SNOW TOTALS. AS SURFACE LOW LIFTS OFF TO THE
NORTHEAST...PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA CREATING
BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS AND BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS.  WHERE SLEET
WAS MOST PREVALENT ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA...WENT AHEAD AND ISSUED A
WIND CHILL ADVISORY. FURTHER TO THE WEST WHERE THERE WAS MORE
SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION...ELECTED TO ISSUE A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BOTH BLOWING SNOW AND WIND CHILLS. WHERE
CONTINUED LIGHT SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING AND SNOW
TOTALS ARE HIGHER...LEFT WINTER STORM WARNING AND BLIZZARD WARNING
IN EFFECT. HAVE LOWERED FORECAST LOWS TONIGHT WITH BITTERLY COLD AND
DRY AIRMASS UPSTREAM. KEPT READINGS ALONG THE BUFFALO RIDGE SLIGHTLY
WARMER AS HIGHER ELEVATION SHOULD RESULT IN MORE WIND KEEPING THEM
MARGINALLY WARMER.

SYSTEM LIFTS OUT TO THE NORTHEAST QUICKLY SATURDAY WITH ONLY A
LITTLE LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE IN NORTHWEST PARTS OF THE AREA DURING THE
MORNING. STRONGEST OF WINDS EXPECTED DURING THE MORNING HOWEVER...SO
THREAT OF BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDDAY...DIMINISHING IN
THE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY WEST...AS GRADIENT BEGINS TO SLACKEN WITH
DEPARTING LOW. WILL KEEP HEADLINES GOING THROUGH NOON...THOUGH
NORTHEAST PARTS OF THE CWA COULD SEE SOME AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW
CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON. COLDEST AIR PARKED OVER THE REGION ON
SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT...SO WILL SEE TEMPS SATURDAY STRUGGLE TO
CLIMB THROUGH THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE ZERO DESPITE STRONGLY MIXED
LOWER ATMOSPHERE.

DECREASING WINDS AND PARTIAL CLEARING EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT WILL
ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL TO 5 TO 15 BELOW ZERO MOST AREAS...COLDEST OVER
THE JAMES VALLEY WHERE LIGHTEST WINDS/DEEPEST SNOW COVER COINCIDE.
MAY NEED ADDITIONAL WIND CHILL HEADLINES FOR SOME AREAS NORTH OF
I-90 SATURDAY NIGHT...ESPECIALLY SWRN MN WHERE WINDS WILL STAY UP
A BIT LONGER ALONG THE BUFFALO RIDGE...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON ANY
EXTENSIONS UNTIL SNOW/BLOWING SNOW CONCERNS ARE WINDING DOWN.

LOW LEVEL TEMPS BEGIN TO WARM SUNDAY...BUT WITH LIGHT WINDS AND
INCREASING CLOUDS AHEAD OF NEXT SHORTWAVE...WILL BE TOUGH TO FULLY
RECOVER AND WILL ONLY WARM MOST AREAS A FEW DEGREES OVER SATURDAY
READINGS.

NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN PERSISTS THROUGH NEXT WEEK WITH UPPER LOW
CONTINUING TO DUMBBELL AROUND EASTERN CANADA/HUDSON BAY AND UPPER
RIDGE WORKING EAST THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. COUPLE OF WEAK
WAVES DROPPING ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST THROUGH THE PERIOD. FIRST
HAS DECENT TIMING AGREEMENT AMONGST MODELS TARGETING MONDAY/MONDAY
NIGHT...THOUGH MOISTURE PRETTY LIMITED AND MAIN ENERGY APPEARS TO
SLIDE NORTHEAST OF THE AREA. THUS WILL KEEP POPS IN JUST SLIGHT
CHANCE RANGE FOR NOW ACROSS THE NORTH/NORTHEAST PARTS OF THE CWA
WITH FLURRIES ELSEWHERE.

BROAD CYCLONIC FLOW PERSISTS THROUGH MIDWEEK SO WILL STICK WITH SKY
COVER IN HIGHER END OF PARTLY CLOUDY RANGE. LATE NEXT WEEK...GFS/GEM
PUSH BACKDOOR COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY...WITH 00Z ECMWF
ABOUT 24 HOURS SLOWER...AND ALSO MUCH WARMER AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY
THAN GFS/GEM ARE INDICATING. HEDGING TOWARD FASTER SOLUTION FOR
NOW...BUT WITH UNCERTAINTY IN TIMING WILL NOT GO QUITE AS COLD AS
GFS WOULD SUGGEST...AND WILL ALSO LEAVE LATE WEEK PERIOD DRY FOR NOW
AS MOISTURE STILL PRETTY SPARSE IN THIS FAST NORTHWEST FLOW.

&&

.AVIATION...
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE OVER SOUTHERN MINNESOTA WILL LIFT NORTH
THROUGHOUT THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. AS THE CENTER OF LOW
PRESSURE MOVES AWAY FROM THE REGION...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL
TIGHTEN RESULTING IN INCREASING WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS ACROSS THE
REGION. THE INCREASED WINDS MAY RESULT IN SOME REDUCED VISIBILITIES
IN BLOWING SNOW...ESPECIALLY AT THE KHON TERMINAL. BLOWING SNOW WILL
CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON SATURDAY...BEFORE TAPERING OFF AS
WINDS DECREASE FROM WEST TO EAST. CEILINGS WILL IMPROVE FROM IFR
WITHIN THE BAND OF SNOW TO MVFR...TO LOW END VFR WHERE THEY WILL
REMAIN THROUGH MID-DAY SATURDAY.  THEREAFTER...SKIES WILL BEGIN TO
CLEAR LEADING TO A VERY COLD NIGHT ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY
NIGHT.

&&

.FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR IAZ001-012-
     020-031.

     WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST SATURDAY
     FOR IAZ002-003-013-014-021-022-032.

MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR MNZ071-072-
     080-097-098.

     WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST SATURDAY
     FOR MNZ081-089-090.

NE...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR NEZ013-014.

SD...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR SDZ056-062-
     066-067-069>071.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR SDZ040-055-060-
     061-065-068.

     BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR SDZ038-039-050-
     052>054-057>059-063-064.

&&

 BT/JH

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 31, 4:37 PM CST, 7 hours 23 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
437 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010

SDZ038>040-050-052>071-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-098-
IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-NEZ013-014-011200-
AURORA-BEADLE-BON HOMME-BROOKINGS-BRULE-BUENA VISTA IA-
CHARLES MIX-CHEROKEE IA-CLAY-CLAY IA-COTTONWOOD MN-DAKOTA NE-
DAVISON-DICKINSON IA-DIXON NE-DOUGLAS-GREGORY-HANSON-HUTCHINSON-
IDA IA-JACKSON MN-JERAULD-KINGSBURY-LAKE-LINCOLN-LINCOLN MN-
LYON IA-LYON MN-MCCOOK-MINER-MINNEHAHA-MOODY-MURRAY MN-NOBLES MN-
OBRIEN IA-OSCEOLA IA-PIPESTONE MN-PLYMOUTH IA-ROCK MN-SANBORN-
SIOUX IA-TURNER-UNION-WOODBURY IA-YANKTON-
437 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST IOWA...AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WINTER WEATHER...
SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE TONIGHT...WITH ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN AN INCH. INCREASING WEST TO NORTHWEST
WINDS WILL CAUSE BLOWING OF THE FRESH SNOW COVER TONIGHT INTO NEW
YEARS DAY...ALONG WITH DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS. THE BLOWING SNOW
WILL VARY ACCORDING TO HOW MUCH NEW SNOW FELL. BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS WITH WIDESPREAD VISIBILITIES OF A QUARTER MILE OR LESS
ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND WEST OF A DE SMET TO MITCHELL TO PICKSTOWN
SOUTH DAKOTA LINE. THE REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL BE LESS
WIDESPREAD EAST OF THIS AREA. LITTLE OR NO VISIBILITY REDUCTION
IS EXPECTED IN THE LIGHT SNOWFALL AREAS OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA
AND NORTHWEST IOWA...MAINLY THE PLACES THAT ARE NOT ADJACENT TO
SOUTH DAKOTA. THE WINDS CHILLS WILL DROP TO 20 BELOW TO 35 BELOW
ZERO OVER THE AREA TONIGHT.

WIND AND FOG...
WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE WEST TONIGHT TO 20
TO 35 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS OF 20 BELOW TO 35 BELOW ZERO WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH NEW YEARS MORNING...THEN SLOWLY ABATE LATER IN THE DAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

&&

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SIOUXFALLS. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

WILLIAMS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 31, 6:35 PM CST, 5 hours 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
635 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0300 PM     SNOW             4 WSW SIOUX FALLS       43.53N 96.80W
12/31/2010  M3.7 INCH        MINNEHAHA          SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

0341 PM     HEAVY SNOW       MITCHELL                43.73N 98.03W
12/31/2010  E6.0 INCH        DAVISON            SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

0400 PM     SNOW             2 SSE SIOUX CENTER      43.06N 96.15W
12/31/2010  M1.5 INCH        SIOUX              IA   CO-OP OBSERVER

0400 PM     SNOW             4 ENE SALEM             43.74N 97.31W
12/31/2010  M4.5 INCH        MCCOOK             SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

0400 PM     HEAVY SNOW       MITCHELL                43.73N 98.03W
12/31/2010  E7.0 INCH        DAVISON            SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

0600 PM     SNOW             ESE MENNO               43.24N 97.57W
12/31/2010  M3.5 INCH        HUTCHINSON         SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

0600 PM     HEAVY SNOW       HURON                   44.36N 98.22W
12/31/2010  M6.5 INCH        BEADLE             SD   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

0600 PM     SNOW             SIOUX FALLS             43.54N 96.73W
12/31/2010  M3.4 INCH        MINNEHAHA          SD   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

0600 PM     SNOW             NE WAGNER               43.08N 98.30W
12/31/2010  M4.0 INCH        CHARLES MIX        SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

&&

JH

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 blizzard, 4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Beadle

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Beadle forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 44.415, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 to 9 inches, most of which fell the previous day, and north to northwest winds gusting to over 40 mph produced widespread blizzard conditions with near zero visibilities which continued from the previous day which was New Years Eve. Many roads and businesses were closed by the storm with travel difficult to impossible. A decrease in falling snow and wind allowed conditions to improve by noon.

Blizzard, Kingsbury

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Kingsbury forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 44.370, -97.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 to 10 inches, most of which fell the previous day, and north to northwest winds gusting to over 40 mph produced widespread blizzard conditions with near zero visibilities which continued from the previous day which was New Years Eve. Many roads and businesses were closed by the storm with travel difficult to impossible. A decrease in falling snow and wind allowed conditions to improve by noon.

Blizzard, Jerauld

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Jerauld forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.066, -98.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sanborn

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Sanborn forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 44.023, -98.091 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Miner

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Miner forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Brule

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Brule forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.718, -99.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 to 8 inches, most of which fell the previous day, and north to northwest winds gusting to over 40 mph produced widespread blizzard conditions with near zero visibilities which continued from the previous day which was New Years Eve. Many roads and businesses were closed by the storm with travel difficult to impossible. A decrease in falling snow and wind allowed conditions to improve by noon.

Blizzard, Aurora

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Aurora forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.718, -98.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Davison

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 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, Gregory

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Gregory forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.192, -99.186 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Charles Mix

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Charles Mix forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.208, -98.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Douglas

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.387, -98.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Brookings

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Brookings forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.370, -96.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 3 to 6 inches, most of which fell the previous day, and winds gusting to over 40 mph produced blowing snow. Visibilities were lowered frequently to below a mile, and locally to a quarter mile or less. The storm continued from the previous day which was New Years Eve. Travel was made very difficult and some businesses and roads were closed, including Interstate 29. Conditions were improving by noon.

Winter Storm, Lake

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McCook

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: McCook forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.674, -97.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 2 to 6 inches, most of which fell the previous day, and winds gusting to over 40 mph produced blowing snow. Visibilities were lowered frequently to below a mile, and locally to a quarter mile or less. The storm continued from the previous day which was New Years Eve. Travel was made very difficult and some businesses and roads were closed. Conditions were improving by noon.

Winter Storm, Hutchinson

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.335, -97.754 (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.
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

Every storm in South Dakota in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, January 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 280273, 280277, 280279, 280280, 280281, 280283, 280284, 280285, 280286, 280287, 280288, 280292, 280293, 280295, 280296.