Blizzard in South Dakota, January 18, 2014

Name: Blizzard in South Dakota, January 18, 2014
Start: 2014-01-18T00:00
End: 2014-01-18T11:30
Location: South Dakota

January 18, 2014 · NWS ABR · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A clipper system moving across the region brought light snowfall and very strong northwest winds to the higher terrain areas of northeastern South Dakota. Snowfall between a half to one inch along with winds of 30 to 40 mph produced widespread blizzard conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: 8

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.

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 Jan 17, 5:52 PM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 17, 5:52 PM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 17, 3:37 PM CST, 8 hours 23 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

8 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Grant

When: January 18, 12:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 45.172, -96.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Codington

When: January 18, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Codington forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 44.978, -97.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hamlin

When: January 18, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Hamlin forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 44.674, -97.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Roberts

When: January 18, 2:00 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where: Roberts forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 45.630, -96.946 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Marshall

When: January 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 45.759, -97.598 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Day

When: January 18, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Day forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 45.367, -97.607 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Clark

When: January 18, 3:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Clark forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 44.858, -97.729 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Deuel

When: January 18, 3:00 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where: Deuel forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 44.760, -96.668 (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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, January 2014

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: 493403, 493400, 493401, 493402, 493397, 493398, 493399, 493404.