South Dakota, 2025

Damaging Winds in South Dakota, June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025 · NWS FSD · 2 events in 1 county or zone

5 degrees C/km mid-level lapse rates, a weak cluster of thunderstorms developed and moved into the Sioux Falls metro area during the early morning hours. Exceedingly great values of DCAPE aided development of strong downdrafts, with the storm showing the signals of a modified convective heat burst in portions of the city away from the greater precipitation core with damage in isolated spots.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Tropical storms and surge
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  • 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
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 FSD wrote it up.

In the midst of extremely warm air aloft and 9 to 9.5 degrees C/km mid-level lapse rates, a weak cluster of thunderstorms developed and moved into the Sioux Falls metro area during the early morning hours. Exceedingly great values of DCAPE aided development of strong downdrafts, with the storm showing the signals of a modified convective heat burst in portions of the city away from the greater precipitation core with damage in isolated spots.

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 20, 5:54 PM CST, 10 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 20, 5:54 PM CST, 10 hours 4 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 20, 3:51 PM CST, 12 hours 7 minutes before
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The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 10 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Minnehaha

When
June 21, 3:58 AM CST to 4:01 AM CST
Where
Minnehaha County, 2.07 mi S of Ellis
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.540, -96.830

A couple of birch trees were knocked over by thunderstorm winds, with other large tree limbs down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Minnehaha

When
June 21, 4:01 AM CST to 4:02 AM CST
Where
Minnehaha County, 0.69 mi N of West Sioux Falls
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
43.580, -96.750

The wind was measured at Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls. A large pine tree was snapped off at a nearby golf course less than one-half mile southwest of the ASOS site.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, June 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: 1278486, 1278487.