Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 8 to 9, 2020

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 8 to 9, 2020
Start: 2020-02-08T19:00
End: 2020-02-09T09:00
Location: South Dakota

February 8 to 9, 2020 · NWS FSD · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 FSD wrote it up.

A confluent trough digging into the Northern Plains established a tight mid-level frontal band which focused snowfall as it traversed the region. The band remained nearly stationary for 6 to 9 hours from east central South Dakota into southwest Minnesota. Instability led to further contraction of the frontal band with a very intense gradient from little snow to a half-foot or more. Isolated thundersnow was reported across southwest Minnesota.

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 8, 5:50 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 8, 5:50 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 8, 4:58 PM CST, 2 hours 2 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
458 PM CST Sat Feb 8 2020

SDZ054>056-092300-
Miner-Lake-Moody-
458 PM CST Sat Feb 8 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Snow will develop during the evening, and will continue overnight,
possibly heavy for short periods. Total snowfall will average between
2 and 6 inches, greatest amounts likely north of Highway 34.
However, potential accumulations could still change due to only a
small shift in the location of the heaviest band.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

While snowfall will be ending in the morning with just a dusting of
additional accumulation, blustery northwest winds will increase to
20 to 30 mph, with a few gusts as high as 45 mph. This will likely
result in some areas of blowing and drifting snow through the midday
hours.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

SDZ038>040-092300-
Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-
458 PM CST Sat Feb 8 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

A band of heavy snowfall will evolve during the evening, and snow
will continue heavy at times tonight. With a fairly narrow band of
heaviest snowfall expected, a slight shift in the location of the
band could bring varying amounts. Generally, accumulations will
average between 4 and 9 inches, with heaviest amounts expected north
of Highway 14. Northerly winds increasing late tonight to 20 to 30
mph with gusts to 40 mph will likely bring areas of blowing and
drifting snow.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

While snowfall will be ending in the morning with an inch or less
additional accumulation, blustery northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph,
with a few gusts as high as 45 mph, will likely result in some areas
of blowing and drifting snow through the midday hours.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

MNZ071-072-092300-
Lincoln-Lyon-
458 PM CST Sat Feb 8 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

A band of heavy snowfall will evolve during the mid to late evening,
and snow will continue heavy at times tonight. With a fairly narrow
band of heaviest snowfall expected, a slight shift in the location of
the band could bring varying amounts. Generally, accumulations will
average between 6 and 9 inches, with locally heavier amounts possible
to around a foot in the most persistent areas of banding.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

While snowfall will be ending in the morning with an inch or two of
additional accumulation, blustery northwest winds will increase to 20
to 30 mph, with a few gusts as high as 45 mph. This will likely
result in some areas of blowing and drifting snow through the mid-
afternoon hours.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

IAZ001>003-013-014-MNZ080-081-089-090-097-098-092300-
Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-O'Brien-Clay-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-
Pipestone-Rock-
458 PM CST Sat Feb 8 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa and southwest
Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Snowfall will develop during the evening hours, and continue briefly
heavy at times overnight. By late night, some areas near and south of
Interstate 90 could see snow diminish and change to a period of
freezing drizzle. Total snow accumulation by morning should reach 1
to 4 inches, with greatest amounts north of Interstate 90.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

While snowfall will be ending in the morning with an inch or less of
additional accumulation mainly near and north of Interstate 90,
blustery northwest winds will increase to 20 to 30 mph, with a few
gusts as high as 45 mph. This will likely result in some areas of
blowing and drifting snow through the mid- afternoon hours.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

IAZ012-021-022-032-SDZ050-052-053-057>067-092300-
Sioux-Cherokee-Buena Vista-Ida-Gregory-Jerauld-Sanborn-Brule-Aurora-
Davison-Hanson-McCook-Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-
Turner-Lincoln-
458 PM CST Sat Feb 8 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central
Iowa, central South Dakota, east central South Dakota, south
central South Dakota and southeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

A light snowfall will evolve this evening, before mixing or changing
to some freezing drizzle late tonight. While most areas will likely
see an inch or less accumulation, some locations near and north of
Interstate 90 from Mitchell toward Sioux Falls, then toward Cherokee
and Storm Lake could see up to 2 inches. Any spotty ice accumulation
should remain a few hundredths at most.

By late tonight, winds from the James River valley westward will
become northerly and increase to 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to 45 mph.
This could create some spotty blowing and drifting snow.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

While snowfall will be ending in the morning with just a dusting of
additional accumulation, blustery northwest winds will increase to
20 to 30 mph, with a few gusts as high as 45 mph. This will likely
result in some areas of blowing and drifting snow through the midday
hours.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

IAZ020-031-NEZ013-014-SDZ068>071-092300-
Plymouth-Woodbury-Dixon-Dakota-Bon Homme-Yankton-Clay-Union-
458 PM CST Sat Feb 8 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central
Iowa, northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Light wintry mixed precipitation is expected tonight, starting as
light snowfall and changing to a mix of light freezing drizzle and
light snow later tonight. Snow accumulations are likely to be less
than a half inch, and any ice accumulations likely limited to a
couple hundredths at most. Winds will shift northerly late tonight
and increase to 25 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph in areas
near and west of Yankton.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

While spotty light mixed precipitation will end early Sunday, the
north to northwest winds will continue to be strong into early
afternoon, gusting as high as 45 to 50 mph at times through midday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 winter weather, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Hutchinson

When: February 8, 7:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.335, -97.754 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Despite only a brief period of snowfall which brought up to an 1.0 inches 11 miles south of Emery and 0.4 inches 10 miles west of Dimock, slick roads resulted in a single-car accident and (indirect) fatality to the driver 2 miles west of Parkston on SD Highway 46. The vehicle lost control, entered the ditch and rolled, ejecting the driver.

Winter Storm, Beadle

When: February 8, 8:00 PM CST to February 9, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Beadle forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 44.415, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall was heavy at times, with visibility reduced to one-half mile or less from 2100CST February 8 to 0500CST Februrary 9 at Huron. Snowfall accumulated to 12.0 inches 3 miles north northeast of Huron, 10.4 inches at Huron and 9.0 inches 2 miles southeast of Wessington.

Winter Weather, Miner

When: February 8, 8:00 PM CST to February 9, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Miner forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to briefly heavy snowfall totalled 6.0 inches at Howard.

Winter Storm, Kingsbury

When: February 8, 8:30 PM CST to February 9, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Kingsbury forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.370, -97.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall was heavy at times through early morning February 9. Snowfall accumulated to 12.6 inches at De Smet, 9.0 inches 9 miles south southwest of Arlington, 8.5 inches one mile south southeast of De Smet, and 6.7 inches at Iroquois.

Winter Weather, Lake

When: February 8, 8:30 PM CST to February 9, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.022, -97.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to briefly heavy snowfall accumulated to 5.1 inches 2 miles north of Chester and 5.0 inches at Madison.

Winter Storm, Brookings

When: February 8, 9:00 PM CST to February 9, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Brookings forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.370, -96.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to heavy snowfall occurred late evening through the overnight. Snowfall accumulated to 8.3 inches in Volga, 8.0 inches 2 miles south southeast of Astoria and near Brookings, 7.8 inches near White and 6.0 inches 4 miles northeast of Bruce.

Winter Weather, Moody

When: February 8, 9:00 PM CST to February 9, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Moody forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.022, -96.671 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to briefly heavy snowfall accumulated to 6.0 inches at Flandreau and 5.0 inches 11 miles north of Colman.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Winter Weather, Hutchinson	2020-02-09	30	Female	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Indirect

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
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, February 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: 874819, 874780, 874791, 874783, 874792, 874785, 874794.