High Wind, Potter
- When
- February 24, 2:02 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Potter forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 45.065, -99.957 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Tornado and High Wind in South Dakota, February 24, 2025
A fast-moving low pressure system brought thunderstorms in the relatively warmer air ahead of it, along with strong non-thunderstorm winds in the colder air behind it. The strong non-thunderstorm winds developed during the morning across central and north central South Dakota and peaked in the afternoon hours of February 24th.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 13
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.
A fast-moving low pressure system brought thunderstorms in the relatively warmer air ahead of it, along with strong non-thunderstorm winds in the colder air behind it. The strong non-thunderstorm winds developed during the morning across central and north central South Dakota and peaked in the afternoon hours of February 24th. Several South Dakota Department of Transportation weather stations recorded gusts in excess of 60 mph, including a 64 mph wind gusts 13 miles north-northwest of Sansarc, and 62 mph recorded winds 4 miles west-northwest of Cresbard, 1 mile north of Ree Heights, and 3 miles southeast of Reliance. Numerous other locations reported wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph.
Later that afternoon and evening, unusual February thunderstorms developed over eastern South Dakota. While the environment wasn’t favorable for strong storms, there was enough low-level rotation in the atmosphere to support a brief, weak tornado in Codington County. Some storms also produced pea-sized hail. This event was particularly notable, as it marked the first documented tornado in South Dakota history during the month of February.
The radar
The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:10 UTC.
Event by event
12 high wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Corson
- When
- February 24, 2:06 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Corson forecast zone
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 45.709, -101.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Hughes
- When
- February 24, 2:17 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hughes forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Dewey
- When
- February 24, 2:19 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dewey forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 45.157, -100.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Stanley
- When
- February 24, 2:24 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Stanley forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.412, -100.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Hyde
- When
- February 24, 2:44 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hyde forecast zone
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.547, -99.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Faulk
- When
- February 24, 2:54 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Faulk forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 45.071, -99.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Sully
- When
- February 24, 3:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sully forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 44.716, -100.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Hand
- When
- February 24, 3:54 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hand forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.548, -99.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Buffalo
- When
- February 24, 3:58 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Buffalo forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 44.076, -99.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Tornado, Codington
- When
- February 24, 4:11 PM CST
- Where
- Codington County, 2.56 mi WSW of Appleby
- Rating
- EFU
- Path length
- 0.01 mi
- Path width
- 5 yd
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 44.815, -97.078
A weak thunderstorm generated a brief tornado in an open field. A storm chaser photographed the event. No damage was observed by this tornado, but it was the first February tornado to be documented in South Dakota history.
High Wind, Lyman
- When
- February 24, 4:29 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lyman forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 43.896, -99.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Jones
- When
- February 24, 4:29 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jones forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 43.961, -100.690 (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.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Wildfire in Nebraska, February 24 to 28, 2025
- Flood and Heavy Snow in Washington, February 24 to 26, 2025
- High Wind and Heavy Rain in Washington, February 24 to 25, 2025
- High Wind in South Dakota, February 24, 2025
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, February 24, 2025
- High Wind in Wyoming, February 24 to 26, 2025
- High Wind in Nevada, February 24, 2025
- High Wind in Oregon, February 24, 2025
- High Wind in California, February 24, 2025
- High Wind in California, February 24, 2025
- Winter Weather in Michigan, February 24, 2025
- Avalanche in Idaho, February 24, 2025
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for South Dakota, 2025Warnings in South Dakota, February 2025
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: 1231075, 1231079, 1231077, 1231076, 1231072, 1231078, 1231073, 1231080, 1231074, 1231070, 1231068, 1231071, 1233418.