South Dakota, 2018

Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, April 2 to 3, 2018

April 2 to 3, 2018 · NWS UNR · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

An upper level disturbance brought snowfall to much of western South Dakota. The heaviest snow fell from northwestern South Dakota into the northern Black Hills, where four to eight inches were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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.

An upper level disturbance brought snowfall to much of western South Dakota. The heaviest snow fell from northwestern South Dakota into the northern Black Hills, where four to eight inches were reported. Amounts to ten inches were noted in the Spearfish area. Accumulations of two to five inches were reported across west central South Dakota.

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 Apr 2, 4:18 AM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 2, 4:18 AM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 2, 2:31 AM MST, 3 hours 29 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter storm, 4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Perkins

When
April 2, 6:00 AM MST to April 3, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Perkins forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Harding

When
April 2, 7:00 AM MST to April 3, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Butte

When
April 2, 11:00 AM MST to April 3, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Butte forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Foot Hills

When
April 2, 2:00 PM MST to April 3, 3:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Black Hills

When
April 2, 3:00 PM MST to April 3, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills

When
April 2, 3:00 PM MST to April 3, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Southern Meade Co Plains

When
April 2, 3:00 PM MST to April 3, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Central Black Hills

When
April 2, 5:00 PM MST to April 3, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Central Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Rapid City

When
April 2, 5:00 PM MST to April 3, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Rapid City forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pennington Co Plains

When
April 2, 5:00 PM MST to April 3, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Pennington Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (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.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, April 2018

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: 738724, 738723, 738725, 738726, 738727, 738728, 738729, 738730, 738731, 738732.