A lack of significant precipitation as the agricultural season ended maintained severe drought conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 FSD wrote it up.
A lack of significant precipitation as the agricultural season ended maintained severe drought conditions.
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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 31, 9:19 PM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 1019 PM CDT Sat Oct 31 2020 .SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Sunday) Issued at 348 PM CDT Sat Oct 31 2020 Strong northwest winds continue to gust into the 35 to 45 mph range this evening as a cold front brings a cool Canadian air mass into the region. Wind Advisories are in effect for a portion of the area through sunset. Be sure to secure loose items and use extra caution if operating a high-profile vehicle. Winds remain elevated overnight, but gusts should decrease in frequency and intensity as the pressure gradient relaxes. By sunrise Sunday, expect only light northwest winds. Daytime temperatures will be chilly as the 1035 hPa arctic surface high pressure slides south of the area. Afternoon temperatures remain in the low to mid 40s; however, skies should be mostly clear, so the sunshine should take the edge off for those outside. .LONG TERM...(Sunday Night through Saturday) Issued at 348 PM CDT Sat Oct 31 2020 A big pattern change continues to look likely for Monday through early next weekend. A robust ridge builds over the western CONUS Sunday night into Monday. For the northern Plains, Monday will be a transition day, with south central South Dakota seeing upper 60s for highs while locations east of I-29 only get into the upper 50s. The warm temperatures become more widespread by Tuesday and Wednesday, as the ridge centers itself over the Plains. 925 hPa temperatures in the 17 to 19 C range should lead to surface temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above average mid-week. A few low 70s during the afternoons are not out of the question. Not only will it be exceptionally warm, but winds will be light due to a broad surface high over the central US. Those who have outdoor tasks to do before winter have a great stretch in which to get things done. Thursday through Saturday remains warm, with highs in the 60s. The strong zonal jet streak over Canada keeps any active weather displaced well to the north through this timeframe. The pattern begins changing again next Sunday, with southwesterly flow aloft. Long-range models do show a potential for more active weather by Sunday night into Monday, but precipitation details are uncertain at this time. Colder air looks to return by early next week. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Sunday night) Issued at 1017 PM CDT Sat Oct 31 2020 Winds are beginning to diminish west of I-29 while winds east of I-29 will continue to gust between 30-40 kts into at least the early overnight hours. By sunrise, stronger winds should be exiting thru Iowa and Minnesota with winds generally under 15 kts for Sunday, becoming more southerly thru the day. VFR conditions are expected to prevail. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...VandenBoogart LONG TERM...VandenBoogart AVIATION...Kalin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 356 PM CDT Sat Oct 31 2020 SDZ038-039-050-052>054-057>059-063-064-012100- Beadle-Kingsbury-Gregory-Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Brule-Aurora-Davison- Charles Mix-Douglas- 356 PM CDT Sat Oct 31 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and southeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Strong winds continue this evening with northwesterly gusts of 40 to 50 mph through sunset. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ040-055-056-060>062-065>071-012100- Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee- Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson- Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Brookings-Lake-Moody-Hanson-McCook- Minnehaha-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton-Union- 356 PM CDT Sat Oct 31 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, east central South Dakota and southeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Strong winds continue this evening with northwesterly gusts of 35 to 45 mph through sunset. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
924 PM CDT SAT OCT 31 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0521 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 N MITCHELL 43.77N 98.04W
10/31/2020 M52 MPH DAVISON SD ASOS
&&
MMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought conditions remained severe (D2) through November. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, November 2020
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: 927535.