High Wind in South Dakota, October 13, 2021

Name: High Wind in South Dakota, October 13, 2021
Start: 2021-10-13T05:00
End: 2021-10-13T18:00
Location: South Dakota

October 13, 2021 · NWS UNR · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A strong low pressure system brought abundant precipitation and very gusty winds to much of the western and south central South Dakota plains. The strongest winds developed from the west central to south central South Dakota plains, where gusts over 70 mph were recorded.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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.

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 Oct 12, 2:40 PM MST, 14 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 12, 2:40 PM MST, 14 hours 20 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Fall River

When: October 13, 5:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where: Fall River forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Meade Co Plains

When: October 13, 5:30 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where: Southern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Custer Co Plains

When: October 13, 8:30 AM MST to 1:30 PM MST
Where: Custer Co Plains forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Pennington Co Plains

When: October 13, 8:30 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Pennington Co Plains forecast zone
Measured: 68 kt (78 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Todd

When: October 13, 11:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Todd forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Foot Hills

When: October 13, 11:00 AM MST to 12:00 PM MST
Where: Southern Foot Hills forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Oglala Lakota

When: October 13, 11:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where: Oglala Lakota forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 43.336, -102.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jackson

When: October 13, 11:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Haakon

When: October 13, 12:00 PM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Haakon forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Tripp

When: October 13, 1:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Tripp forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 43.346, -99.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mellette

When: October 13, 3:00 PM CST to 5:00 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)

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

Every storm in South Dakota in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 984077, 984083, 984074, 984075, 984081, 984073, 984078, 984079, 984076, 984082, 984080.