Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 22 to 23, 2020

Name: Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 22 to 23, 2020
Start: 2020-12-22T18:00
End: 2020-12-23T09:00
Location: South Dakota

December 22 to 23, 2020 · NWS UNR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy upslope enhanced snowfall developed across the northern Black Hills behind the passage of a strong cold front. The heaviest snow occurred across areas from Lead to Cheyenne Crossing to O'Neill Pass, where six to 12 inches fell.

Where it happened

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.

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: 1

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.

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 22, 4:03 PM MST, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 22, 4:03 PM MST, 1 hour 57 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 22, 4:11 AM MST, 13 hours 49 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Rapid City SD
411 AM MST Tue Dec 22 2020

SDZ001-002-012>014-026-027-029>032-041>044-046-047-049-073-074-
231400-
Harding-Perkins-Butte-Northern Meade Co Plains-Ziebach-Rapid City-
Southern Foot Hills-Southern Black Hills-Custer Co Plains-
Pennington Co Plains-Haakon-Fall River-Oglala Lakota-Jackson-
Bennett-Mellette-Todd-Tripp-Southern Meade Co Plains-
Hermosa Foot Hills-
411 AM MST Tue Dec 22 2020 /511 AM CST Tue Dec 22 2020/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western South
Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

A strong cold front will bring high winds to the area tonight. A
high wind warning is in effect.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday

A high wind warning is in effect through Wednesday 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

SDZ024-028-WYZ057-231400-
Northern Black Hills-Central Black Hills-Wyoming Black Hills-
411 AM MST Tue Dec 22 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Black Hills
of South Dakota...and the Black Hills of Wyoming.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

A strong cold front will bring high winds to the area tonight. A
high wind warning is in effect. Along with the strong northwest
winds, a period of accumulating snow is expected, with 2 to 5
inches of accumulation possible. The combination of strong winds
and snow will result in periods of poor travel conditions tonight
into early Wednesday.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.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

SDZ025-072-WYZ054>056-058-071-231400-
Northern Foot Hills-Sturgis/Piedmont Foot Hills-Northern Campbell-
Southern Campbell-Western Crook-Weston-Northeastern Crook-
411 AM MST Tue Dec 22 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwestern
South Dakota...and northeast Wyoming.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

A strong cold front will bring high winds to the area tonight. A
high wind warning is in effect. Along with the strong northwest
winds, a period of accumulating snow is expected, with 1 to 2
inches of accumulation possible. The combination of strong winds
and snow will result in periods of poor travel conditions tonight
into early Wednesday.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 22, 2:42 PM MST, 3 hours 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
242 PM MST TUE DEC 22 2020

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0230 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 8 NW ROCKYPOINT         44.99N 105.20W
12/22/2020  M58 MPH          CAMPBELL           WY   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

07

Local storm report, Dec 22, 5:16 PM MST, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
516 PM MST TUE DEC 22 2020

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0239 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 7 NW ROCKYPOINT         44.99N 105.19W
12/22/2020  M55 MPH          CROOK              WY   MESONET

0239 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  7 NW ROCKYPOINT         44.99N 105.19W
12/22/2020  M47 MPH          CROOK              WY   MESONET

0251 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  1 NE ECHETA             44.47N 105.84W
12/22/2020  M41 MPH          CAMPBELL           WY   MESONET

0251 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 NE ECHETA             44.47N 105.84W
12/22/2020  M59 MPH          CAMPBELL           WY   MESONET

0345 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N BUFFALO             45.60N 103.55W
12/22/2020  M52 MPH          HARDING            SD   ASOS

0345 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 NNW DWTN GILLETTE     44.34N 105.54W
12/22/2020  M51 MPH          CAMPBELL           WY   ASOS

&&

EAGAN

Local storm report, Dec 22, 5:27 PM MST, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
527 PM MST TUE DEC 22 2020

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0514 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 E DWTN RAPID CITY     44.07N 103.21W
12/22/2020  M53 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

0515 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  5 WNW NEW UNDERWOOD     44.12N 102.93W
12/22/2020  M41 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   MESONET

0515 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST RAPID CITY ARPT         44.05N 103.05W
12/22/2020  M63 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   ASOS

0515 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 WNW NEW UNDERWOOD     44.12N 102.93W
12/22/2020  M54 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   MESONET

0519 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 W BOX ELDER           44.12N 103.09W
12/22/2020  M55 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   MESONET

0519 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  RAPID CITY ARPT         44.05N 103.05W
12/22/2020  M43 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   ASOS

&&

EAGAN

Local storm report, Dec 22, 5:53 PM MST, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
553 PM MST TUE DEC 22 2020

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0525 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST ELLSWORTH AFB           44.16N 103.10W
12/22/2020  M56 MPH          MEADE              SD   OTHER FEDERAL

0528 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  ELLSWORTH AFB           44.16N 103.10W
12/22/2020  M44 MPH          MEADE              SD   OTHER FEDERAL

0529 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 12 WSW CASTLE ROCK      44.92N 103.66W
12/22/2020  M50 MPH          BUTTE              SD   MESONET

0535 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 WNW NEW UNDERWOOD     44.12N 102.93W
12/22/2020  M57 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   MESONET

0535 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NW WASTA              44.10N 102.50W
12/22/2020  M67 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   MESONET

0539 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 10 W EDGEMONT           43.30N 104.02W
12/22/2020  M53 MPH          FALL RIVER         SD   MESONET

0540 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  3 NW WASTA              44.10N 102.50W
12/22/2020  M51 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   MESONET

0544 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  1 W BOX ELDER           44.12N 103.09W
12/22/2020  M40 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   MESONET

0544 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 W BOX ELDER           44.12N 103.09W
12/22/2020  M58 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   MESONET

0548 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 E DWTN RAPID CITY     44.07N 103.21W
12/22/2020  M58 MPH          PENNINGTON         SD   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

&&

EAGAN

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Northern Black Hills

When: December 22, 6:00 PM MST to December 23, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Northern Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 44.310, -103.111 (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

Every storm in South Dakota in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, December 2020

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 929994.