South Dakota, 2015

Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 15 to 16, 2015

December 15 to 16, 2015 · NWS ABR · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

A surface low pressure system that tracked from eastern Colorado to Minnesota brought heavy snow to much of central and parts of northeast, South Dakota. Northwest winds also increased to 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph causing blowing snow and lowered visibility.

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 ABR wrote it up.

A surface low pressure system that tracked from eastern Colorado to Minnesota brought heavy snow to much of central and parts of northeast, South Dakota. Northwest winds also increased to 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph causing blowing snow and lowered visibility. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 11 inches occurred with this winter storm. A number of schools were delayed or cancelled. Travel became hazardous and was not advised. Snowfall totals include: 6 inches at Pierre, Aberdeen, Onida, and Selby; 7 inches 15 miles northwest of Gettysburg; 8 inches 25 miles west of Onida; 9 inches at Eagle Butte; 10 inches at Murdo and 11 inches 6 miles east of Hayes.

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 Dec 15, 5:32 AM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 15, 5:32 AM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 15, 5:55 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 15, 4:04 AM CST, 2 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

15 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Lyman

When
December 15, 7:00 AM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Lyman forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.896, -99.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jones

When
December 15, 8:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Jones forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.961, -100.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stanley

When
December 15, 10:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Stanley forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.412, -100.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hughes

When
December 15, 10:00 AM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Hughes forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sully

When
December 15, 12:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Sully forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.716, -100.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hyde

When
December 15, 12:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Hyde forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
44.547, -99.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Potter

When
December 15, 2:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Potter forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.065, -99.957 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Faulk

When
December 15, 2:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Faulk forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.071, -99.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Edmunds

When
December 15, 4:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Edmunds forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.419, -99.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Walworth

When
December 15, 5:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Walworth forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.430, -100.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dewey

When
December 15, 6:00 PM CST to December 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Dewey forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.157, -100.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Campbell

When
December 15, 6:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Campbell forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.771, -100.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McPherson

When
December 15, 6:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
McPherson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.766, -99.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Corson

When
December 15, 7:00 PM CST to December 16, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Corson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.709, -101.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Brown

When
December 15, 7:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
45.590, -98.352 (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

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, December 2015

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: 612392, 612390, 612388, 612393, 612394, 612406, 612396, 612403, 612402, 612398, 612386, 612400, 612401, 612387, 612408.