South Dakota, 2020

Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, June 6, 2020

June 6, 2020 · NWS FSD · 8 events in 6 counties and zones

Continued warm air advection and the advancement of steep mid-level lapse rates brought MLCAPE up to 2000 J/kg. Storms evolved into small bowing segments with deep-layer shear up to 50 knots and DCAPE values over 1000 J/kg while moving from south central to east central South Dakota.

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
$2,000
Crop damage
$12,000
Events
8

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.

Continued warm air advection and the advancement of steep mid-level lapse rates brought MLCAPE up to 2000 J/kg. Storms evolved into small bowing segments with deep-layer shear up to 50 knots and DCAPE values over 1000 J/kg while moving from south central to east central South Dakota.

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 Jun 6, 11:50 AM CST, 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 6, 11:50 AM CST, 18 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 6, 6:54 AM CST, 5 hours 14 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
754 AM CDT Sat Jun 6 2020

SDZ038-039-050-052>054-057>060-063>065-071300-
Beadle-Kingsbury-Gregory-Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Brule-Aurora-Davison-
Hanson-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-
754 AM CDT Sat Jun 6 2020

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

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Isolated thunderstorms will be possible later this morning through
early afternoon, mainly north of Interstate 90. A few storms could
produce hail up to half dollar size and winds to 65 mph.

While storms are highly unlikely late afternoon and early evening,
any storms which do develop would be capable of large hail to golf
ball size, winds to 70 mph and even an isolated tornado.

The better chance for storms mainly near/west of the James River will
spread in later this evening and early in the overnight with a
threat for hail up to quarter size and winds to 70 mph.

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

A few storms will be possible again Sunday evening, which could
produce large hail and damaging wind. More storms on Monday afternoon
and Monday night will be capable of being severe as well, along with
producing areas of heavy rainfall and potentially some flash
flooding.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

IAZ001-012-MNZ071-072-080-097-098-NEZ013-SDZ040-055-056-061-062-
066>071-071300-
Lyon-Sioux-Lincoln-Murray-Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Brookings-Lake-Moody-
McCook-Minnehaha-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton-Clay-Union-
754 AM CDT Sat Jun 6 2020

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

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

An isolated thunderstorm is possible during the afternoon north of
Interstate 90, with a small chance to produce hail up to quarter size
or damaging winds to 60 mph. While storms are quite unlikely south of
Interstate 90 later today, if a storm manages to develop toward
early evening, it would likely be severe with large hail, damaging
wind or a tornado.

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

A small chance for a thunderstorm will occur Sunday night north of
Interstate 90, with a threat for a severe storm toward Highway 14.
Additional storms will develop later Monday afternoon, with some
likely to be severe. More persistent showers and storms will continue
through Monday night into Tuesday, which will be capable of very
heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

IAZ002-003-013-014-020>022-031-032-MNZ081-089-090-NEZ014-071300-
Osceola-Dickinson-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee-Buena Vista-
Woodbury-Ida-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-Dakota-
754 AM CDT Sat Jun 6 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central
Iowa, southwest Minnesota and northeast Nebraska.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

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

Thunderstorms will develop later Monday night and continue at times
through Tuesday night. A few storms may be severe on Tuesday, but
there is a higher probability that storms would produce heavy
rainfall and potentially flash flooding.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 6, 12:00 PM CST, 8 minutes before
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The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 148 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:06 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Charles Mix

When
June 6, 12:08 PM CST to 12:10 PM CST
Where
Charles Mix County, 2.76 mi S of Ravinia
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.090, -98.430

Hail, Charles Mix

When
June 6, 12:12 PM CST to 12:13 PM CST
Where
Charles Mix County, 1.22 mi NE of Ravinia
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.140, -98.410

Thunderstorm Wind, Miner

When
June 6, 4:32 PM CST to 4:34 PM CST
Where
Miner County, 0.5 mi W of Canova
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
43.880, -97.510

Several tree limbs up to 6 to 8 inches in diameter were reported down across Canova. Property damage costs are rough estimates.

Thunderstorm Wind, McCook

When
June 6, 4:50 PM CST to 4:52 PM CST
Where
McCook County, 1 mi E of Unityville
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.800, -97.430

Several large trees were broken off or uprooted. Property damage costs are rough estimates.

Thunderstorm Wind, McCook

When
June 6, 5:00 PM CST to 5:02 PM CST
Where
McCook County, 2.59 mi ESE of Center
Measured
64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Crop damage
$12,000
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
43.820, -97.300

Wind gust was measured by a personal weather station. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lake

When
June 6, 5:26 PM CST to 5:28 PM CST
Where
Lake County, 1.47 mi NNE of Franklin
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.890, -97.060

Wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.

Thunderstorm Wind, Minnehaha

When
June 6, 5:29 PM CST to 5:31 PM CST
Where
Minnehaha County, 3.6 mi NNE of Buffalo Trading Post
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.830, -97.050

Wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.

Thunderstorm Wind, Moody

When
June 6, 6:09 PM CST to 6:11 PM CST
Where
Moody County, 0.85 mi NE of Flandreau Muni Arpt
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.010, -96.590

Automated weather station 3 miles south of Flandreau measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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, June 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: 905171, 905172, 905173, 905174, 905177, 905180, 905183, 905184.