Hail, Pennington
- When
- May 25, 12:15 PM MST to 12:40 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington County, 5.2 mi WNW of Wall Muni Arpt
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 44.035, -102.343
Small hail accumulated five inches deep.
Hail in South Dakota, May 25, 2016
A thunderstorm quickly intensified over eastern Pennington County and tracked eastward. The storm produced very large hail as it moved across Haakon County, larger than baseball size in a few areas.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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 UNR wrote it up.
A thunderstorm quickly intensified over eastern Pennington County and tracked eastward. The storm produced very large hail as it moved across Haakon County, larger than baseball size in a few areas. A lot of small hail was reported in the Wall area, covering the ground at some locations.
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 Rapid City, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 25, 2:16 AM MST, 9 hours 59 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 25, 2:16 AM MST, 9 hours 59 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion For Western SD and Northeastern WY National Weather Service Rapid City SD 316 AM MDT WED MAY 25 2016 .SHORT TERM...(Today Through Thursday Night) Issued at 300 AM MDT Wed May 25 2016 Current surface map shows low across eastern Colorado with trof extending into central South Dakota. Last of showers exiting eastern portions of forecast area as upper level shortwave is lifting into eastern Montana/western North Dakota. For today, shortwave lifting through the area cuts off across western North Dakota and consolidates with old upper low along theMontana/Saskatchewan border. Surface low lifts through central South Dakota late this morning into early afternoon. This will bring breezy northwest winds across the western South Dakota plains this afternoon. Combination of steep lapse rates and marginal moisture gives MLCAPE of 200-500J/KG across northeast Wyoming into western South Dakota this afternoon, with up to 1500J/KG across south central South Dakota. Main threat of severe thunderstorms will be south and east of the forecast area. Upper low remains across north Dakota on Thursday. With steep lapse rates, another round of afternoon and evening thunderstorms expected. .LONG TERM...(Friday Through Tuesday) Issued at 300 AM MDT Wed May 25 2016 Persistent upper level troughing over the northwest CONUS will keep active southwest flow across the Northern Plains through the Memorial Day weekend. Periodic shortwave energy will eject out of the trough, keeping a daily chance of showers and thunderstorms in the forecast through the holiday weekend. Temperatures will be near seasonal averages, with highs each day generally in the mid 60s to upper 70s. Lows at night will be in the 40s to mid 50s. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS Through 12Z Thursday Morning) Issued At 300 AM MDT Wed May 25 2016 IFR/MVFR ceilings will be found across northeast Wyoming, the Black Hills, and into northwest South Dakota this morning as a weak cold front moves through the area. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible again today, beginning late this morning across northeast Wyoming, expanding eastward across western South Dakota in the afternoon. Best chances for showers and storms will be from the Interstate 90 corridor north. Outside of the showers and storms, VFR conditions are expected from late this morning through Thursday morning, except across higher terrain. && .UNR Watches/Warnings/Advisories... SD...None. WY...None. && SHORT TERM...7 LONG TERM...15 AVIATION...15
Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 2:56 AM MST, 9 hours 19 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD 356 AM MDT WED MAY 25 2016 SDZ001-002-012>014-024>032-041>043-072>074-WYZ054>058-071-261300- HARDING-PERKINS-BUTTE-NORTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-ZIEBACH- NORTHERN BLACK HILLS-NORTHERN FOOT HILLS-RAPID CITY- SOUTHERN FOOT HILLS-CENTRAL BLACK HILLS-SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS- CUSTER CO PLAINS-PENNINGTON CO PLAINS-HAAKON-FALL RIVER- OGLALA LAKOTA-JACKSON-STURGIS/PIEDMONT FOOT HILLS- SOUTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-HERMOSA FOOT HILLS-NORTHERN CAMPBELL- SOUTHERN CAMPBELL-WESTERN CROOK-WYOMING BLACK HILLS-WESTON- NORTHEASTERN CROOK- 356 AM MDT WED MAY 25 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA...AND NORTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT 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 SDZ044-046-047-049-261300- BENNETT-MELLETTE-TODD-TRIPP- 356 AM MDT WED MAY 25 2016 /456 AM CDT WED MAY 25 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...AND SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT 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
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 25, 11:53 AM MST, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD 1253 PM MDT WED MAY 25 2016 SDZ031-251915- PENNINGTON CO PLAINS SD- 1253 PM MDT WED MAY 25 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL PENNINGTON COUNTY UNTIL 115 PM MDT... AT 1253 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR OWANKA...OR 36 MILES EAST OF RAPID CITY...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WASTA...OWANKA AND WICKSVILLE. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 90 IN SOUTH DAKOTA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 91 AND 108. LAT...LON 4395 10263 4412 10258 4416 10223 4388 10233 TIME...MOT...LOC 1853Z 281DEG 24KT 4402 10251 MCKEMY
The radar
The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:17 UTC.
Event by event
5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Pennington
- When
- May 25, 12:29 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington County, 1 mi NNE of Wall
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 44.003, -102.232
Hail, Haakon
- When
- May 25, 12:53 PM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon County, 10.3 mi WNW of Philip
- Measured
- 3 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 44.100, -101.860
Hail to around baseball size covered the ground.
Hail, Haakon
- When
- May 25, 1:17 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon County, 2 mi N of Philip
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 44.069, -101.670
Hail, Haakon
- When
- May 25, 1:39 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon County, 10.74 mi ENE of (Php)philip Arpt
- Measured
- 3 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 44.098, -101.394
The storm also produced 50 mph wind gusts.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, May 25, 2016
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, May 25, 2016
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Iowa, May 25 to 26, 2016
- Damaging Wind in Wisconsin, May 25, 2016
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 25, 2016
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Missouri, May 25 to 26, 2016
- Hail and Damaging Wind in South Dakota, May 25, 2016
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 25 to 26, 2016
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 25, 2016
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, May 25, 2016
- Hail and Damaging Wind in South Dakota, May 25, 2016
- Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 25, 2016
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, May 2016
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: 628229, 627927, 627928, 627929, 627931.