Strong winds developed behind an exiting low pressure system. The strongest winds developed in the Rapid City area, where northwest winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts around 55 mph were recorded.
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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.
Strong winds developed behind an exiting low pressure system. The strongest winds developed in the Rapid City area, where northwest winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts around 55 mph were recorded.
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 Mar 31, 10:40 AM MST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
1140 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016
.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 534 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016
MAIN AREA OF LIFT HAS SHIFTED SE OF THE BLACK HILLS..WITH THE BL
DRYING OUT SOME. THIS HAS ENDED UPSLOPE SNOWS ACROSS THE NORTHERN
BLACK HILLS. SNOW SHOWERS WILL REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AS THE
SYSTEM COLD POOL TIMES WITH DIURNAL HEATING. WITH A BREAK IN SNOW
AND INSOLATION EXPECTED TO FIGHT ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL...HAVE
CANCELED THE WINTER WX ADV FOR THE NORTHERN BLACK HILLS. UP TO 2
INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH EVENING THERE...MAINLY THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS.
&&
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT
ISSUED AT 250 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016
STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH ADVECTING SE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS
THIS MORNING. THIS SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A BAND OF
PRECIP WITH WIDESPREAD UVM EARLY THIS MORNING. DECENT UPSLOPE
FORCING ONGOING ACROSS THE NORTHERN BLACK HILLS...WITH STEEP LL
LAPSE RATES OVER A DEEP LAYER INTO THE DGZ SUPPORTING DECENT
SNOWFALL RATES IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN BLACK
HILLS. UPSLOPE FORCING WILL WANE THIS MORNING AS THE BULK OF DEEP
MOISTURE SHIFTS SE. FORCING WILL THEN TRANSITION TO A CONVECTIVE
NATURE AS THE SYSTEM COLD POOL ALOFT TIMES WITH INSOLATION. THIS
IS EXPECTED TO SUPPORT SCT-ISOLD RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF
THE AREA...ESP THIS AFTERNOON AND OVER NW AREAS. HOWEVER...DRY CP
AIR MASS WILL LIMIT MOISTURE...WITH MANY SHRA ON THE PLAINS ENDING
UP AS VIRGA TO VERY LIGHT. HAVE OPTED FOR SCT-ISOLD MENTION ON
THE PLAINS OUTSIDE OF NE WY AND THE NORTHERN BLACK HILLS. A FEW
CLAPS OF THUNDER WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESP OVER THE WESTERN
THIRD. WILL LEAVE THE WINTER WEATHER ADV IN PLACE OVER THE
NORTHERN BLACK HILLS. HOWEVER...THE ADV COULD PROBABLY BE CANCELED
BY LATE MORNING WITH A SWITCH TO CONVECTIVE PRECIP THIS AFTERNOON
AND INSOLATION LIKELY KEEPING THE ROADS CLEAR. THE OTHER STORY
TODAY WILL BE THE WIND ON THE SD PLAINS. CAA/MIXING/AND PRESSURE
RISES WILL SUPPORT WINDY CONDS THERE...ESP THE LEE OF THE BLACK
HILLS. WINDS OF 30-40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 60 CAN BE EXPECTED
AROUND THE RAPID CITY AREA...ESP JUST TO THE EAST. WILL LEAVE ALL
HEADLINES IN PLACE. LINGERING SHRA WILL DIMINISH AND ADVECT SE
OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. LONGWAVE RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN CONUS WILL
SHIFT EAST FRIDAY...WITH WAA ENSUING OVER THE FA. MEANWHILE
ANOTHER STRONG NORTHERN STREAM IMPULSE WILL DIVE SE INTO THE
MIDWEST...WITH THE BULK OF ASSOCIATED FORCING REMAINING WELL EAST
OF THE FA. THE ONLY AFFECT FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL BE AN ENHANCEMENT
FLOW FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SAT. OVERALL...COOL CONDS EXPECTED THROUGH
THE PERIOD.
.LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
ISSUED AT 250 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016
MAINLY DRY AND WARMER WEATHER WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MUCH
OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL TRACK FROM THE
WEST COAST TO THE ROCKIES OVER THE WEEKEND...WEAKENING AS IT MOVES
EASTWARD. WARMER AIR WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA...WITH HIGHS MOSTLY IN
THE 60S ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...COOLER OVER THE BLACK HILLS. MEDIUM
RANGE MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT ON A SHORTWAVE SYSTEM AND COOL
FRONT CROSSING THE NORTHERN PLAINS SUNDAY. WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHANCES
FOR SHOWERS OVER MAINLY NORTHEASTERN WYOMING AND THE BLACK HILLS.
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL THEN SLIDE ACROSS THE AREA EARLY NEXT
WEEK...BRINGING MILD AND DRY CONDITIONS MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. NEXT
SHORTWAVE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA WITH SHOWER CHANCES TUESDAY NIGHT
AND WEDNESDAY.
&&
.AVIATION...FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY
ISSUED AT 1138 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016
VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH
TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. SOME MVFR/IFR
CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS FAR
NORTHEAST WY AND THE NORTHERN BLACK HILLS AREA. STRONG NORTHWEST
WINDS GUSTING TO 45 KTS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE WESTERN SD PLAINS
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
&&
.UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MDT /9 PM CDT/ THIS EVENING FOR SDZ001-
002-012>014-025-030-032-042>044-046-047-049-074.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR SDZ026-031-072-
073.
WY...NONE.
&&
SHORT TERM...JC
LONG TERM...15
AVIATION...26HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD 447 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016 SDZ027-029-041-WYZ054>056-058-011300- SOUTHERN FOOT HILLS-SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS-FALL RIVER- NORTHERN CAMBELL-SOUTHERN CAMPBELL-WESTERN CROOK-WESTON- 447 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA...AND NORTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY 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 SDZ024-028-WYZ057-011300- NORTHERN BLACK HILLS-CENTRAL BLACK HILLS-WYOMING BLACK HILLS- 447 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA...AND NORTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY. ONE TO THREE INCHES OF ADDITIONAL SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE NORTHERN BLACK HILLS...MAINLY THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY 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 SDZ001-002-012>014-025-026-030>032-042>044-046-047-049-072>074- WYZ071-011300- HARDING-PERKINS-BUTTE-NORTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-ZIEBACH- NORTHERN FOOT HILLS-RAPID CITY-CUSTER CO PLAINS- PENNINGTON CO PLAINS-HAAKON-OGLALA LAKOTA-JACKSON-BENNETT- MELLETTE-TODD-TRIPP-STURGIS/PIEDMONT FOOT HILLS- SOUTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-HERMOSA FOOT HILLS-NORTHEASTERN CROOK- 447 AM MDT THU MAR 31 2016 /547 AM CDT THU MAR 31 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...AND NORTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ACROSS THE RAPID CITY AREA AND ADJACENT PLAINS...WHERE SOME WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA PLAINS...WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED. THE GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER INDEX WILL REACH THE HIGH TO VERY HIGH CATEGORIES TODAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA PLAINS...HIGHEST OVER NORTHWEST SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY 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
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
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, March 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: 618065, 618066.