South Dakota, 2021

Drought in South Dakota, October 1 to 31, 2021

October 1 to 31, 2021 · NWS ABR · 18 events in 18 counties and zones

Due to much above-average precipitation, drought conditions improved across portions of the north-central and northeastern South Dakota. However, severe drought persisted across central South Dakota as rainfall was just slightly above average.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
18

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 ABR wrote it up.

Due to much above-average precipitation, drought conditions improved across portions of the north-central and northeastern South Dakota. However, severe drought persisted across central South Dakota as rainfall was just slightly above average. Temperatures were between two to six degrees above average for October. At the start of the month, 55 percent of the region was in severe/extreme D2/D3 drought, but that percentage dropped to 15 percent by the end of the month. Severe (D2) drought was confined to eastern Dewey, Stanley, northwestern Jones, extreme northwest Lyman, western Hughes, western Potter, and western Sully counties.

During the middle portion of October, stream flows were normal to much above average on area rivers and streams. Even central South Dakota, the Moreau, and Grand rivers ran above average. Pasture and range conditions were rated 44 percent very poor and 35 percent poor. The grassland fire danger was high to very high at times across the area, mainly during low humidity and high winds.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, McPherson

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 11:59 PM CST
Where
McPherson forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.766, -99.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Edmunds

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Edmunds forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.419, -99.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Faulk

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Faulk forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.071, -99.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Brown

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.590, -98.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Spink

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Spink forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
44.938, -98.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hand

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hand forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
44.548, -99.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hyde

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hyde forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
44.547, -99.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Buffalo

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Buffalo forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
44.076, -99.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Campbell

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 19, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Campbell forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.771, -100.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Walworth

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 19, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Walworth forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.430, -100.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Corson

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Corson forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.709, -101.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dewey

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Dewey forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.157, -100.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Stanley

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Stanley forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
44.412, -100.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jones

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Jones forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.961, -100.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lyman

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Lyman forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.896, -99.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hughes

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hughes forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Potter

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Potter forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
45.065, -99.957 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Sully

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Sully forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
44.716, -100.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, October 2021

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: 988656, 988657, 988658, 988659, 988660, 988662, 988663, 988664, 988665, 988666, 988667, 988668, 988669, 988670, 988671, 988672, 988673, 988674.