Hail in South Dakota, July 9, 2020

Name: Hail in South Dakota, July 9, 2020
Start: 2020-07-09T14:40
End: 2020-07-09T15:45
Location: South Dakota

July 9, 2020 · NWS UNR · 6 events in 2 counties and zones

A severe thunderstorm developed over the central Black Hills, producing large hail from Mount Rushmore to the Fairburn area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 6

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 severe thunderstorm developed over the central Black Hills, producing large hail from Mount Rushmore to the Fairburn area.

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 9, 2:07 PM MST, 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 9, 2:07 PM MST, 33 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 9, 12:37 PM MST, 2 hours 3 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Rapid City SD
137 PM MDT Thu Jul 9 2020

SDZ001-002-013-014-032-046-049-101300-
Harding-Perkins-Northern Meade Co Plains-Ziebach-Haakon-Mellette-
Tripp-
137 PM MDT Thu Jul 9 2020 /237 PM CDT Thu Jul 9 2020/

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

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms are possible, mainly tonight. Severe
thunderstorms are not expected.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Thunderstorms will be possible on Friday, some of which could be
severe. More thunderstorms will be possible from Sunday night
through early next week.

.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

SDZ012-024>031-041>044-047-072>074-WYZ056-057-071-101300-
Butte-Northern Black Hills-Northern Foot Hills-Rapid City-
Southern Foot Hills-Central Black Hills-Southern Black Hills-
Custer Co Plains-Pennington Co Plains-Fall River-Oglala Lakota-
Jackson-Bennett-Todd-Sturgis/Piedmont Foot Hills-
Southern Meade Co Plains-Hermosa Foot Hills-Western Crook-
Wyoming Black Hills-Northeastern Crook-
137 PM MDT Thu Jul 9 2020 /237 PM CDT Thu Jul 9 2020/

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

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms are possible, mainly tonight. A few storms
may be strong or severe.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Thunderstorms will be possible on Friday, some of which could be
severe. More thunderstorms will be possible from Sunday night
through early next week.

.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

WYZ054-055-058-101300-
Northern Campbell-Southern Campbell-Weston-
137 PM MDT Thu Jul 9 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast
Wyoming.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms are possible tonight. A few storms may be
strong or severe.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Dry weather is expected on Friday, but more thunderstorms will be
possible from Sunday night through much of next week.

.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, Jul 9, 10:18 AM MST, 4 hours 22 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 9, 10:37 AM MST, 4 hours 3 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 9, 11:15 AM MST, 3 hours 25 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 2:11 PM MST, 29 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 9, 2:25 PM MST, 15 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 9, 2:36 PM MST, 4 minutes before

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The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Pennington

When: July 9, 2:40 PM MST
Where: Pennington County, Mt Rushmore
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 43.880, -103.450

Hail, Pennington

When: July 9, 2:50 PM MST
Where: Pennington County, 2 mi W of Hayward
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.870, -103.370

Hail, Custer

When: July 9, 2:56 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 7 mi W of Hermosa
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 43.840, -103.331

Hail, Custer

When: July 9, 3:22 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 6 mi SW of Hermosa
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.779, -103.275

Hail, Custer

When: July 9, 3:22 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 5 mi NNW of Fairburn
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.757, -103.248

Hail, Custer

When: July 9, 3:45 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 3 mi SE of Fairburn
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 43.659, -103.168

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

Every storm in South Dakota in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 907101, 907109, 907113, 907114, 907120, 907135.