Winter Storm, Northern Black Hills
- When
- December 3, 9:00 PM MST to December 4, 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Black Hills forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 3 to 4, 2017
A cold front and upper level system moved across the region, bringing gusty winds and snow to much of western South Dakota. The heaviest snow fell across the northern Black Hills and the northern foothills, where five to ten inches of snow accumulated.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 cold front and upper level system moved across the region, bringing gusty winds and snow to much of western South Dakota. The heaviest snow fell across the northern Black Hills and the northern foothills, where five to ten inches of snow accumulated. The highest amounts were generally across the higher elevation, upslope-favored areas of the northern Black Hills. Gusty northwest winds produced blowing and drifting snow and greatly reduced visibilities at times.
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 Dec 3, 8:16 PM MST, 44 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 3, 8:16 PM MST, 44 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 3, 3:35 AM MST, 17 hours 25 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Rapid City SD 335 AM MST Sun Dec 3 2017 SDZ001-002-012>014-025>032-041>044-046-047-049-072>074-WYZ054>056- 058-071-041400- Harding-Perkins-Butte-Northern Meade Co Plains-Ziebach- 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- Bennett-Mellette-Todd-Tripp-Sturgis/Piedmont Foot Hills- Southern Meade Co Plains-Hermosa Foot Hills-Northern Campbell- Southern Campbell-Western Crook-Weston-Northeastern Crook- 335 AM MST Sun Dec 3 2017 /435 AM CST Sun Dec 3 2017/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A strong cold front will move across the area late tonight. Snow will develop behind the cold front with a few inches of accumulation possible. Northwest winds with gusts of 40 to 55 mph will be found across the plains. The combination of wind and snow will create poor visibility. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday The snow will end from west to east on Monday. The gusty northwest winds will diminish Monday afternoon. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today. && Stay tuned to NOAA weather radio for further updates...or check our web site at weather.gov/rapidcity SDZ024-WYZ057-041400- Northern Black Hills-Wyoming Black Hills- 335 AM MST Sun Dec 3 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Black Hills. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A strong cold front will move across the area late tonight. Snow will develop behind the cold front. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday The snow will Monday afternoon. 4 to 6 inches of snow is expected across the northern Black Hills with locally higher amounts. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today. && Stay tuned to NOAA weather radio for further updates...or check our web site at weather.gov/rapidcity
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Northern Foot Hills
- When
- December 3, 10:00 PM MST to December 4, 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 44.359, -103.792 (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
- Cold in Minnesota, December 3, 2017
- High Wind in Wyoming, December 3 to 4, 2017
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 3 to 4, 2017
- Winter Weather in Wyoming, December 3 to 4, 2017
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 3 to 4, 2017
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 3, 2017
- Winter Storm in Montana, December 3 to 4, 2017
- High Wind in Colorado, December 3, 2017
- Winter Weather in Colorado, December 3 to 4, 2017
- High Wind in California, December 3, 2017
- High Wind in Nevada, December 3, 2017
- Winter Weather in Colorado, December 3 to 4, 2017
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, December 2017
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 726912, 726915.