South Dakota, 2023

Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, April 3 to 5, 2023

April 3 to 5, 2023 · NWS UNR · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

A strong spring storm tracked across the region, producing heavy snow and blizzard conditions at times across portions of western South Dakota. The heaviest snow developed across southwestern South Dakota, where a foot to over two feet of snow was reported; the highest amounts were over the eastern slopes of the central and southern Black Hills.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 23 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
23

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 strong spring storm tracked across the region, producing heavy snow and blizzard conditions at times across portions of western South Dakota. The heaviest snow developed across southwestern South Dakota, where a foot to over two feet of snow was reported; the highest amounts were over the eastern slopes of the central and southern Black Hills. Elsewhere to the north and east, amounts tapered off, with six to 12 inches in many other areas and only a few inches across far northwestern and far south central South Dakota. Some freezing rain and mixed precipitation developed across south central South Dakota as well. Winds gusting around 40 mph on the South Dakota plains produced blizzard or near blizzard conditions at times, along with significant drifting snow.

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 Apr 3, 4:21 AM MST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 4:21 AM MST, 1 hour 39 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 2:32 AM MST, 3 hours 28 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

13 blizzard, 9 winter storm, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Fall River

When
April 3, 6:00 AM MST to April 4, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Fall River forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Southern Foot Hills

When
April 3, 7:00 AM MST to April 4, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Foot Hills forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.239, -103.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Oglala Lakota

When
April 3, 9:00 AM MST to April 5, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.336, -102.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Black Hills

When
April 3, 1:00 PM MST to April 4, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Custer Co Plains

When
April 3, 1:00 PM MST to April 5, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Custer Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Bennett

When
April 3, 1:00 PM MST to April 5, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Bennett forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.195, -101.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hermosa Foothills

When
April 3, 1:00 PM MST to April 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Hermosa Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Jackson

When
April 3, 3:00 PM MST to April 5, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Rapid City

When
April 3, 4:00 PM MST to April 4, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Rapid City forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pennington Co Plains

When
April 3, 4:00 PM MST to April 5, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Pennington Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Black Hills

When
April 3, 5:00 PM MST to April 4, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Central Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Haakon

When
April 3, 5:00 PM MST to April 5, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Haakon forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Black Hills

When
April 3, 7:00 PM MST to April 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Black Hills forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills

When
April 3, 7:00 PM MST to April 5, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Sturgis / Piedmont Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Foot Hills

When
April 3, 8:00 PM MST to April 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Southern Meade Co Plains

When
April 3, 8:00 PM MST to April 5, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Butte

When
April 3, 10:00 PM MST to April 5, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Butte forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ziebach

When
April 3, 10:00 PM MST to April 5, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Ziebach forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.980, -101.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Perkins

When
April 4, 12:00 AM MST to April 5, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Perkins forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Northern Meade Co Plains

When
April 4, 12:00 AM MST to April 5, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Mellette

When
April 4, 3:00 AM CST to April 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Mellette forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Todd

When
April 4, 12:00 PM CST to April 5, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Todd forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Tripp

When
April 4, 6:00 PM CST to April 5, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Tripp forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.346, -99.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, April 2023

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: 1081945, 1081939, 1081946, 1081941, 1081942, 1081948, 1081955, 1081947, 1081938, 1081943, 1081940, 1081944, 1081934, 1081953, 1081937, 1081954, 1081929, 1081933, 1081928, 1081930, 1081950, 1081951, 1081952.