South Dakota, 2012

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 6 to 7, 2012

December 6 to 7, 2012 · NWS UNR · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

An upper level disturbance moved across western South Dakota during the night and early morning, bringing snow to much of the area. A band of heavy snow developed across northern Lawrence, southern Butte, and central Meade Counties and remained nearly stationary for several hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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.

An upper level disturbance moved across western South Dakota during the night and early morning, bringing snow to much of the area. A band of heavy snow developed across northern Lawrence, southern Butte, and central Meade Counties and remained nearly stationary for several hours. Snowfall amounts of four to six inches were reported in these areas, with as much as ten inches measured in southern Meade County.

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 Dec 6, 7:24 PM MST, 2 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 6, 7:24 PM MST, 2 hours 36 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

2 winter weather, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Butte

When
December 6, 10:00 PM MST to December 7, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Butte forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northern Foot Hills

When
December 6, 10:00 PM MST to December 7, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Meade Co Plains

When
December 6, 11:00 PM MST to December 7, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Meade Co Plains

When
December 6, 11:00 PM MST to December 7, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, December 2012

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: 419943, 419944, 419942, 426072.