A line of severe thunderstorms developed over the Black Hills and tracked quickly southeast across west central and southwest South Dakota. The storms produced wind gusts around 65 mph across the area.
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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.
The episode as NWS UNR wrote it up.
A line of severe thunderstorms developed over the Black Hills and tracked quickly southeast across west central and southwest South Dakota. The storms produced wind gusts around 65 mph across the area.
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 Jul 30, 4:39 PM MST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion For Western SD and Northeastern WY National Weather Service Rapid City SD 539 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 .SHORT TERM...(This Evening Through Sunday Night) Issued at 153 PM MDT Sat Jul 30 2016 20z surface analysis had boundary from central MT into northeast CO. Ahead of boundary, 1-2KJ/kg MLCAPE is developing. MLCIN eroding, especially over the higher terrain. CU field perking up a bit from southeast MT into the Black Hills, which is ahead of a very subtle shortwave over southeast MT, indicated by weak ACCAS field. With upper ridge building over the CWA per water vapour matinee, convective potential somewhat lower than yesterday but severe threat is similar with storms that develop given 15-20m/s 0-6km bulk shear. CAMs suggest strong to severe storms to occur in and near the Black Hills into south central SD where richest boundary layer moisture exists. Activity will shift southeast overnight. Temperatures will be near guidance. Sunday, upper ridge over the northern plains with upper low moving across south central Canada as tail end shortwave moves across MT/ND. Aforementioned boundary shifts east with modest MLCAPE developing ahead of it over western SD. MLCIN will be higher than today with enough shear for severe storms if storms develop in the afternoon and evening. Additional storms will occur Sunday night as elevated convection on the SD plains pops up late given 25-35kt low level jet. Temperatures will be near guidance ahead of boundary and above guidance in the drier air behind it. .LONG TERM...(Monday Through Saturday) Issued at 153 PM MDT Sat Jul 30 2016 Zonal flow aloft early in the week will give way to southwesterly flow Tuesday and Wednesday as upper level low moves across the Pacific NW and eventually into the southern Canadian Prairie Provinces. Weak disturbances in the flow will bring mostly diurnally driven shower and thunderstorm activity Monday and Tuesday, with the best chances across the Black Hills each afternoon. Above average temperatures can be expected across much of the area Monday and Tuesday, before a cold front passage late Tuesday night and Wednesday brings more seasonable temperatures for the rest of the week. Drier west-northwest flow late in the week should bring mostly dry conditions, with just a slight chance of thunderstorms at this point in some areas for Thursday and Friday. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS Through 00Z Sunday Evening) Issued At 533 PM MDT Sat Jul 30 2016 VFR conditions will prevail tonight and on Sunday. Scattered thunderstorms will be located from northeastern Wyoming, across the Black Hills and into south central South Dakota during the early evening. Small hail and strong gusty winds are expected with the thunderstorms. && .UNR Watches/Warnings/Advisories... SD...None. WY...None. && SHORT TERM...Helgeson LONG TERM...26 AVIATION...10
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD 212 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 SDZ001-002-012>014-032-046-047-049-WYZ054>058-071-311300- HARDING-PERKINS-BUTTE-NORTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-ZIEBACH-HAAKON- MELLETTE-TODD-TRIPP-NORTHERN CAMPBELL-SOUTHERN CAMPBELL- WESTERN CROOK-WYOMING BLACK HILLS-WESTON-NORTHEASTERN CROOK- 212 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 /312 PM CDT SAT JUL 30 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...NORTHEAST WYOMING...AND THE BLACK HILLS OF WYOMING. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE ARE PERIODIC CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. .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 SDZ024>031-041>044-072>074-311300- NORTHERN BLACK HILLS-NORTHERN FOOT HILLS-RAPID CITY- SOUTHERN FOOT HILLS-CENTRAL BLACK HILLS-SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS- CUSTER CO PLAINS-PENNINGTON CO PLAINS-FALL RIVER-OGLALA LAKOTA- JACKSON-BENNETT-STURGIS/PIEDMONT FOOT HILLS- SOUTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-HERMOSA FOOT HILLS- 212 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA...AND WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AROUND AND NEAR THE BLACK HILLS. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE ARE PERIODIC CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON SUNDAY. .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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
719 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0655 PM TSTM WND GST 4 E DOWNTOWN SPEARFISH 44.48N 103.79W
07/30/2016 M56 MPH LAWRENCE SD AWOS
&&
KCLARKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
745 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0735 PM TSTM WND GST 6 WNW DOWNTOWN NEWCASTL 43.88N 104.31W
07/30/2016 M54 MPH WESTON WY AWOS
&&
KCLARKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
748 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0733 PM TSTM WND GST 10 NNW DOWNTOWN NEWCAST 43.99N 104.28W
07/30/2016 E60 MPH WESTON WY PUBLIC
&&
KCLARKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD 749 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 SDZ012-310230- BUTTE SD- 749 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN BUTTE COUNTY UNTIL 830 PM MDT... AT 749 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER CASTLE ROCK...OR 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF BELLE FOURCHE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... HOOVER AND CASTLE ROCK. LAT...LON 4494 10353 4508 10355 4514 10308 4492 10308 TIME...MOT...LOC 0149Z 265DEG 21KT 4500 10344 TRIMARCHI
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD 757 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 SDZ012-013-031-073-310245- PENNINGTON CO PLAINS SD-BUTTE SD-NORTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS SD- SOUTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS SD- 757 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MEADE...SOUTHEASTERN BUTTE AND NORTHEASTERN PENNINGTON COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM MDT... AT 757 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF FAIRPOINT TO 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 35 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... NORTHEASTERN ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE...NORTHERN BOX ELDER... UNION CENTER...ENNING...ELM SPRINGS...MARCUS...WHITE OWL... FAIRPOINT...HEREFORD...RED OWL...STONEVILLE...OPAL AND WICKSVILLE. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 90 IN SOUTH DAKOTA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 85 AND 96...AND BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 101 AND 102. LAT...LON 4497 10219 4405 10225 4415 10310 4492 10307 TIME...MOT...LOC 0157Z 277DEG 30KT 4481 10296 4421 10299 TRIMARCHI
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
800 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0756 PM HAIL 3 NNE DOWNTOWN NEWCASTL 43.90N 104.18W
07/30/2016 M1.00 INCH WESTON WY TRAINED SPOTTER
WIND GUTS TO 60 MPH
&&
KCLARKThe Rapid City radar (KUDX), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:01 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.
The spotter estimated wind gusts at 60 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Dakota in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, July 2016
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: 645404, 645406, 645414, 645416, 645412, 645408, 645410, 645419.