South Dakota, 2024

High Wind in South Dakota, May 21, 2024

May 21, 2024 · NWS ABR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Low pressure lifting into western Minnesota resulted in high winds with 25 weather stations in far eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota exceeding gusts of 45 mph. A peak wind gust of 61 mph was observed at the Department of Transportation weather station near Brandt.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Floods
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

Low pressure lifting into western Minnesota resulted in high winds with 25 weather stations in far eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota exceeding gusts of 45 mph. A peak wind gust of 61 mph was observed at the Department of Transportation weather station near Brandt. These strong winds also toppled a tree in the city of Watertown.

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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 20, 5:42 PM CST, 14 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 5:42 PM CST, 14 hours 45 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 12:46 PM CST, 19 hours 41 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

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Codington

When
May 21, 8:27 AM CST to 8:23 PM CST
Where
Codington forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
44.978, -97.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A radio station shared photos of a tree that fell due to the winds in Watertown.

High Wind, Deuel

When
May 21, 8:27 AM CST to 8:23 PM CST
Where
Deuel forecast zone
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.760, -96.668 (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

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, May 2024

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1183039, 1183042.