Winter Storm in South Dakota, January 21 to 22, 2012

Name: Winter Storm in South Dakota, January 21 to 22, 2012
Start: 2012-01-21T20:00
End: 2012-01-22T12:00
Location: South Dakota

January 21 to 22, 2012 · NWS UNR · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A winter storm brought a mix of precipitation to northwestern South Dakota and the northern Black Hills. Precipitation started as freezing rain or a mix of freezing rain and snow in the evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 6

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.

A winter storm brought a mix of precipitation to northwestern South Dakota and the northern Black Hills. Precipitation started as freezing rain or a mix of freezing rain and snow in the evening. A quarter of an inch of ice accumulated across northwestern South Dakota. Snow developed overnight, with four to eight inches of snow falling over the northern Black Hills and lighter amounts across the northwestern South Dakota plains. Gusty northwest winds caused blowing snow and reduced visibilities to a quarter mile.

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 Jan 21, 7:36 PM MST, 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 7:36 PM MST, 24 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 21, 3:04 PM MST, 4 hours 56 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

6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Northern Black Hills

When: January 21, 8:00 PM MST to January 22, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Black Hills

When: January 21, 8:00 PM MST to January 22, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Central Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Butte

When: January 21, 9:00 PM MST to January 22, 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)

A significant amount of freezing rain covered roads in the Hoover area, creating dangerous driving conditions.

Winter Storm, Northern Foot Hills

When: January 21, 9:00 PM MST to January 22, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The combination of significant freezing rain and snow produced dangerous travel conditions.

Winter Storm, Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills

When: January 21, 9:00 PM MST to January 22, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow and wind reduced visibilities below a quarter mile during the early morning.

Winter Storm, Southern Meade Co Plains

When: January 21, 10:00 PM MST to January 22, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 44.567, -102.717 (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

Every storm in South Dakota in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, January 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: 359923, 359926, 359922, 359925, 359927, 359928.