South Dakota, 2026

Drought in South Dakota, March 10 to 31, 2026

March 10 to 31, 2026 · NWS FSD · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Precipitation was only 25 to 50 percent of normal across most of southeast South Dakota, and a low as 10 to 25 percent of normal in south central South Dakota during March.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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.

Precipitation was only 25 to 50 percent of normal across most of southeast South Dakota, and a low as 10 to 25 percent of normal in south central South Dakota during March.

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 Mar 9, 11:33 PM CST, 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 11:33 PM CST, 27 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 9, 10:34 PM CST, 1 hour 26 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

4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Douglas

When
March 10, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.387, -98.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate (D1) drought conditions intensified to severe (D2) by mid month.

Drought, Hutchinson

When
March 10, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hutchinson forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.335, -97.754 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate (D1) drought conditions intensified to severe (D2) by mid month.

Drought, McCook

When
March 10, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
McCook forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.674, -97.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate (D1) drought conditions intensified to severe (D2) by mid month.

Drought, Minnehaha

When
March 10, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Minnehaha forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.674, -96.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate (D1) drought conditions intensified to severe (D2) by mid month.

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, March 2026

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: 1326731, 1326732, 1326733, 1326734.