Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 31, 2017

Name: Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 31, 2017
Start: 2017-07-31T18:50
End: 2017-07-31T19:12
Location: South Dakota

July 31, 2017 · NWS UNR · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Wind gusts to 60 mph accompanied a thunderstorm as it tracked south across southern Meade County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
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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.

Wind gusts to 60 mph accompanied a thunderstorm as it tracked south across southern Meade County.

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 Jul 31, 4:18 PM MST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 4:18 PM MST, 2 hours 32 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 10:44 AM MST, 8 hours 6 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 31, 4:41 PM MST, 2 hours 9 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 31, 4:45 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 31, 4:55 PM MST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 31, 5:01 PM MST, 1 hour 49 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 31, 5:02 PM MST, 1 hour 48 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 31, 6:15 PM MST, 35 minutes before

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The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:51 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Meade

When: July 31, 6:50 PM MST
Where: Meade County, 6.28 mi NNE of Ellsworth Afb
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 44.230, -103.040

Thunderstorm Wind, Meade

When: July 31, 7:07 PM MST to 7:12 PM MST
Where: Meade County, (Rca)ellsworth Afb
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 44.150, -103.120

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, July 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 704969, 707967.