South Dakota, 2020

Hail in South Dakota, July 4, 2020

July 4, 2020 · NWS UNR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A thunderstorm briefly became severe over the northern Black Hills, producing quarter sized hail south of Deadwood.

Where it happened

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  • Hail
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  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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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.

A thunderstorm briefly became severe over the northern Black Hills, producing quarter sized hail south of Deadwood.

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 Jul 4, 11:51 AM MST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 11:51 AM MST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 4, 3:58 AM MST, 9 hours 22 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Rapid City SD
458 AM MDT Sat Jul 4 2020

SDZ001-002-012>014-025-WYZ054-056-057-071-051100-
Harding-Perkins-Butte-Northern Meade Co Plains-Ziebach-
Northern Foot Hills-Northern Campbell-Western Crook-
Wyoming Black Hills-Northeastern Crook-
458 AM MDT Sat Jul 4 2020

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

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon and
evening. Large hail and damaging winds will be possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

Daily chances for thunderstorms continue through early next week.
Strong to severe storms will be possible at times.

.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

SDZ024-026>032-041>044-072>074-WYZ055-058-051100-
Northern Black Hills-Rapid City-Southern Foot Hills-
Central Black Hills-Southern Black Hills-Custer Co Plains-
Pennington Co Plains-Haakon-Fall River-Oglala Lakota-Jackson-
Bennett-Sturgis/Piedmont Foot Hills-Southern Meade Co Plains-
Hermosa Foot Hills-Southern Campbell-Weston-
458 AM MDT Sat Jul 4 2020

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

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon
and evening. Large hail and damaging winds will be possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

Daily chances for thunderstorms continue through early next week.
Strong to severe storms will be possible at times.

.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

SDZ046-047-049-051100-
Mellette-Todd-Tripp-
558 AM CDT Sat Jul 4 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of south central
South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon and evening, but
severe weather is not expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

Daily chances for thunderstorms continue through early next week.
Strong to severe storms will be possible at times.

.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

Special weather statement, Jul 4, 12:59 PM MST, 21 minutes before
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The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 76 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Lawrence

When
July 4, 1:20 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, 7.42 mi SE of Cheyenne Crossing
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.220, -103.770

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, July 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: 903068.