Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, September 18, 2013

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, September 18, 2013
Start: 2013-09-18T15:15
End: 2013-09-18T16:05
Location: South Dakota

September 18, 2013 · NWS UNR · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

A line of severe thunderstorms developed northeast of the Black Hills. The storms produced hail and strong wind gusts from Meade County to southern Perkins County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $5,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 line of severe thunderstorms developed northeast of the Black Hills. The storms produced hail and strong wind gusts from Meade County to southern Perkins 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 Sep 18, 1:29 PM MST, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 18, 1:29 PM MST, 1 hour 46 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 18, 12:26 PM MST, 2 hours 49 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
126 PM MDT WED SEP 18 2013

SDZ001-002-012>014-024>032-041>044-046-047-049-072>074-WYZ054>058-
071-191300-
BENNETT-BUTTE-CENTRAL BLACK HILLS-CUSTER CO PLAINS-FALL RIVER-HAAKON-
HARDING-HERMOSA FOOT HILLS-JACKSON-MELLETTE-NORTHEASTERN CROOK-
NORTHERN BLACK HILLS-NORTHERN CAMPBELL-NORTHERN FOOT HILLS-
NORTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-PENNINGTON CO PLAINS-PERKINS-RAPID CITY-
SHANNON-SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS-SOUTHERN CAMPBELL-SOUTHERN FOOT HILLS-
SOUTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-STURGIS/PIEDMONT FOOT HILLS-TODD-TRIPP-
WESTERN CROOK-WESTON-WYOMING BLACK HILLS-ZIEBACH-
126 PM MDT (226 PM CDT) WED SEP 18 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHEASTERN WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE AREA...
MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS
WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE.

THE GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER INDEX WILL BE IN THE VERY HIGH TO EXTREME
CATEGORY ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY.

&&

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...
OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/RAPIDCITY

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 18, 12:54 PM MST, 2 hours 21 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 18, 1:10 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 18, 1:37 PM MST, 1 hour 38 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 18, 2:43 PM MST, 32 minutes before

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The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Meade

When: September 18, 3:15 PM MST
Where: Meade County, 4.5 mi ENE of Mud Butte
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.024, -102.794

Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Meade

When: September 18, 3:15 PM MST
Where: Meade County, 5.2 mi E of Mud Butte
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 44.993, -102.774

Half inch size hail was also reported.

Hail, Meade

When: September 18, 3:45 PM MST
Where: Meade County, Stoneville
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 44.730, -102.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Perkins

When: September 18, 4:02 PM MST
Where: Perkins County, 5.26 mi SE of Usta
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.168, -102.081

Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.

Hail, Perkins

When: September 18, 4:05 PM MST
Where: Perkins County, 5.26 mi SE of Usta
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.168, -102.081

Hail damaged vehicles and tore screen windows.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, September 2013

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: 474991, 478472, 474992, 474994, 474997.