High Wind, Harding
- When
- January 17, 2:00 PM MST to 6:00 PM MST
- Where
- Harding forecast zone
- Measured
- 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in South Dakota, January 17, 2020
A strong Arctic cold front crossed the region bringing very gusty winds to much of the western and south central South Dakota plains. The strongest winds were from Buffalo to the Rapid City area, where gusts of 60 to 70 mph were recorded.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 16
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.
A strong Arctic cold front crossed the region bringing very gusty winds to much of the western and south central South Dakota plains. The strongest winds were from Buffalo to the Rapid City area, where gusts of 60 to 70 mph were recorded.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
16 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Butte
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM MST to 6:00 PM MST
- Where
- Butte forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Pennington Co Plains
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- Pennington Co Plains forecast zone
- Measured
- 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Meade Co Plains
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
- Measured
- 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Northern Meade Co Plains
- When
- January 17, 4:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Perkins
- When
- January 17, 5:00 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Perkins forecast zone
- Measured
- 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Fall River
- When
- January 17, 5:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
- Where
- Fall River forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Jackson
- When
- January 17, 5:00 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills
- When
- January 17, 5:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
- Where
- Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills forecast zone
- Measured
- 38 kt (44 mph) measured sustained
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Ziebach
- When
- January 17, 6:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- Ziebach forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.980, -101.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Rapid City
- When
- January 17, 6:00 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Rapid City forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
- Coordinates
- 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Haakon
- When
- January 17, 6:00 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Haakon forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Bennett
- When
- January 17, 6:00 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Bennett forecast zone
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 43.195, -101.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Mellette
- When
- January 17, 7:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mellette forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Todd
- When
- January 17, 7:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Todd forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Tripp
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Tripp forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 43.346, -99.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Weather in Indiana, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Iowa, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Winter Storm in Iowa, January 17 to 18, 2020
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 2020
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, January 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: 866603, 866613, 866629, 866642, 866614, 866604, 866631, 866632, 866640, 866627, 866628, 866630, 866633, 866634, 866635, 866639.