Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 25 to 26, 2015

Name: Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 25 to 26, 2015
Start: 2015-12-25T17:00
End: 2015-12-26T17:00
Location: South Dakota

December 25 to 26, 2015 · NWS ABR · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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: 10

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 area which moved across the central plains brought heavy snow along with some blowing snow to much of central and parts of northeast South Dakota. Heavy snow of 6 to 10 inches along with northwest winds of over 30 mph brought poor road conditions and reduced visibility to the region. Christmas travel was significantly hampered as a result. Some snowfall amounts include: 6 inches at Milbank, Clear Lake, Kennebec and Pierre; 7 inches northwest of Gann Valley; 8 inches at Murdo and Presho; 9 inches east of Hayes, east of Reliance, Miller and Ree Heights and 10 inches southwest of Onida.

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 25, 2:53 PM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 25, 2:53 PM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
253 PM CST FRI DEC 25 2015

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 253 PM CST FRI DEC 25 2015

STARTING TO SEE SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT SPREADING NORTHWARD ACROSS THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS AS UPPER TROUGH/DIFFLUENCE SHIFTS EAST
INTO THE PLAINS. ECHOES ARE INCREASING THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS
NEBRASKA AND SOUTHERN SOUTH DAKOTA...ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL A BIT
OF DRY AIR TO OVERCOME INITIALLY. EXPECT THIS TO ERODE RATHER
QUICKLY WITH SNOW BEGINNING OVER THE SOUTHWEST CWA PRIOR TO 00Z. NOT
TOO MANY CHANGES TO HEADLINES/SNOW AMOUNTS FOR THE DURATION OF THE
STORM SYSTEM. ONLY NOTEWORTHY CHANGE WAS TO DELAY START TIME OF
WINTER WX ADVISORY ACROSS NORTHEAST SD AND WEST CENTRAL MN TO 03Z AS
IT MAY TAKE A BIT LONGER TO SEE SNOWFALL REACH THE FAR NORTHEAST
CWA. STILL EXPECTING 6 TO PERHAPS 10 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHWEST
CWA...WITH WARNING CRITERIA AMOUNTS AROUND 6 INCHES OR SLIGHTLY MORE
AS FAR EAST AS WATERTOWN. LESSER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED THE FURTHER
NORTH YOU GO WITH THE LEAST SNOWFALL ACROSS THE NORTHWEST CWA.

THIS SYSTEM STILL APPEARS TO BE OUT OF THE EASTERN CWA BY SATURDAY
EVENING...WITH COLD AIR TO FOLLOW. EXPECTING RATHER COLD LOWS
SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING THANKS TO THE FRESH SNOW COVER AND
COLD AIR MASS. IT WILL ALL DEPEND ON HOW FAST THE CLOUDS MOVE OUT
AND HOW LIGHT THE WINDS BECOME UNDER THE SFC HIGH.
CURRENTLY...MODELS SUGGEST CLOUDS WILL BE OUT OF THE AREA WHICH
WOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL BELOW ZERO RATHER EASILY GIVEN THE FRESH
COAT OF SNOW THATS EXPECTED.

.LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 253 PM CST FRI DEC 25 2015

SUNDAY...AN UPPER TROF PASSES INTO THE WESTERN LAKES REGION WHILE A
CUT OFF LOW DEVELOPS OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. THIS SHOULD BE
FAIRLY TRANSPARENT TO US AS THE ASSOCIATED WESTERN CONUS RIDGE
FORMATION SUPPORTS A 1040MB HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS THE CWA.
WHILE NOT ANOMALOUSLY COLD...UNDER THESE CONDITIONS AND THE
ADDITIONAL FRESH SNOWFALL...TEMPERATURES WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW
AVERAGE GOING INTO MONDAY.

NOT MUCH CHANGE BETWEEN THE GFS/GEM FOR NEXT WEEK MOISTURE WISE. ANY
LIGHT PRECIPITATION DEPICTED BETWEEN THE TWO IS GENERATED BY
SATURATED CONDITIONS WITHIN THE DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE WHILE WE ARE
UNDER A BROAD UPPER TROF WITH A FEW WEAK EMBEDDED WAVES...WITH ANY
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO BE MINOR. THE ECMWF HAS RETURNED TO SUGGESTING
TROWAL PRECIPITATION WILL BACK INTO THE EASTERN/CENTRAL DAKOTAS
TUESDAY...AND AGAIN IS AN OUTLIER AND FOR NOW DISCOUNTED.

AS FOR TEMPERATURES...A LACK OF SIGNIFICANT THERMAL ADVECTION AND
RECENT ADDITIONAL SNOW COVER WILL LIKELY RESULT IN READINGS BELOW
CLIMO NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1141 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2015

KPIR WILL REMAIN VFR UNTIL IFR SNOW AND LOW CIGS MOVE IN LATER
THIS EVENING...CONTINUING THROUGH THE REST OF THE TAF PERIOD. FOR
KMBG/KABR...IFR STRATUS/FOG WILL PERSIST FOR A FEW HOURS...WITH
SOME IMPACT TO VISBY/CIGS LIKELY TO CONTINUE OFF AND ON UNTIL THE
IFR SNOW/LOW CIGS MOVE IN TO THOSE TERMINALS TONIGHT. SAME FOR
KATY WITH THE LOW CIGS...ALTHOUGH THIS TERMINAL MAY OCCASIONALLY
BREAK OUT INTO VFR CIGS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.

&&

.ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS EVENING TO 6
     PM CST /5 PM MST/ SATURDAY FOR SDZ009-010-015>017.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SATURDAY
     FOR SDZ006>008-011.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS EVENING TO 6 PM
     CST /5 PM MST/ SATURDAY FOR SDZ018>023-033>037-045-048-051.

MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SATURDAY
     FOR MNZ039-046.

&&

SHORT TERM...TMT
LONG TERM...CONNELLY
AVIATION...CONNELLY

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 25, 4:57 AM CST, 12 hours 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
457 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2015

SDZ018>023-033>037-045-048-051-261100-
SPINK-CLARK-CODINGTON-GRANT-HAMLIN-DEUEL-STANLEY-SULLY-HUGHES-
HYDE-HAND-JONES-LYMAN-BUFFALO-
457 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2015 /357 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL SOUTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WINTER STORM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE REGION BEGINNING LATE
THIS AFTERNOON IN THE FAR SOUTHWEST...SPREADING NORTHEAST THROUGH
THE NIGHT. SNOWFALL COULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THE WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY WITH THE SNOW ENDING
FROM WEST TO EAST FROM THE AFTERNOON TO THE EARLY EVENING.
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 9 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. NORTH WINDS WILL
INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH CAUSING BLOWING SNOW AND LOWERED
VISIBILITY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

MNZ039-046-SDZ003>011-015>017-261100-
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-CORSON-CAMPBELL-MCPHERSON-BROWN-MARSHALL-
ROBERTS-WALWORTH-EDMUNDS-DAY-DEWEY-POTTER-FAULK-
457 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2015 /357 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2015/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH
DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE REGION TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY...ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST
INTO THE EARLY EVENING. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 6 INCHES
ARE EXPECTED. NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH CAUSING
BLOWING SNOW AND LOWERED VISIBILITY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

MOHR

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Lyman

When: December 25, 5:00 PM CST to December 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Lyman forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.896, -99.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Buffalo

When: December 25, 5:00 PM CST to December 26, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Buffalo forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 44.076, -99.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hand

When: December 25, 5:00 PM CST to December 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Hand forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.548, -99.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stanley

When: December 25, 6:00 PM CST to December 26, 2:00 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, Jones

When: December 25, 6:00 PM CST to December 26, 2:00 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, Hyde

When: December 25, 7:00 PM CST to December 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Hyde forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 44.547, -99.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hughes

When: December 25, 8:00 PM CST to December 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Hughes forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sully

When: December 25, 9:00 PM CST to December 26, 3:00 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, Deuel

When: December 25, 10:00 PM CST to December 26, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Deuel forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.760, -96.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Grant

When: December 25, 11:00 PM CST to December 26, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 45.172, -96.768 (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 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 612433, 612449, 612451, 612427, 612432, 612446, 612435, 612443, 612455, 612452.