Winter Weather in South Dakota
Every winter weather event the National Weather Service has filed in South Dakota, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
The most significant on the map
The most significant winter weather episodes in South Dakota.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 3,114
- Deaths
- 32
- Injuries
- 68
- Damage
- $613,000
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 12 to 16, 2022A powerful winter storm moved slowly across the central and northern Plains to the upper Midwest; bringing heavy snow, some mixed precipitation, strong winds, and periods of blizzard or near blizzard conditions across the plains for a multi-day period.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, March 10, 2018During the morning of March 10, an approaching weak mid-level wave brought a brief pulse of warm advection.
- High Wind and Winter Weather in South Dakota, January 15 to 16, 2026A clipper system and arctic blast brought strong winds and pockets of light to moderate snow showers.
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, November 10, 2020Unusual warmth with a week of temperatures mainly in the 70s (even 50s and 60s on November 9 less than a day before this storm) was brought to an abrupt end as a deep trough of low pressure moved out of Rockies and into the Plains.
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in South Dakota, April 1 to 3, 2025A system to the south looped up into Minnesota, generating a band of heavy snow and strong winds across mainly northeast South Dakota, with a lull and partial melting before wrap around precipitation and a re-freeze resulted in additional ice and snowfall.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, January 26, 2022A single roll-over vehicle accident occurred on Interstate 29 due to icy roadways. Two occupants were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, April 15, 2011A large surface low pressure area brought 1 to 2 inches of snowfall resulting in slushy roads and difficult driving conditions across Hamlin County. The poor conditions contributed to a fatal accident.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, January 3, 2014Light freezing rain glazed the roads across parts of north central and northeast South Dakota during the mid afternoon hours. Due to slick roads, there was a two car and one semi accident six miles west of Mina on Highway 12 in eastern Edmunds County.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, November 5 to 6, 2019A reinforcing jet streak dropped into a deep trough across the Northern Plains. Increasing warm advection in advance of the wave led to the development of a narrow frontal band, which was reinforced for a time during the late afternoon and evening of November 5 as the main jet…
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, March 16 to 17, 2023A rapidly strengthening storm developed across the Northern Plains and into the western Great Lakes on March 16-17. An initial band of precipitation developed during the early morning hours of March 16 from eastern South Dakota into southwestern Minnesota.
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, November 28 to 30, 2019Close on the heels of the last winter storm, an amplified upper-air pattern brought another impulse out of the southwestern U.S. early on Friday, November 29 and pushed a shield of light mixed precipitation northeastward across the region with a light accumulation of ice.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, November 28, 2018With cooler air locked in near the surface, progression of a mid-level wave from the west during the daytime hours of November 28 increased warm advection atop the cold layer, resulting in periods of light freezing rain.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, November 16 to 17, 2018Mid-level frontogenesis within the entrance region of a jet streak across northern Wisconsin brought rapid onset to precipitation during the afternoon and evening of November 16.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, October 29, 2013Light freezing rain caused roads to become slick in and around the Watertown area during the early morning hours. A man died in a one-vehicle crash on U.S.
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 24 to 25, 2007Widespread rain and freezing rain developed and changed to snow on February 24th, with snow continuing through the morning of February 25th.
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in South Dakota, January 9 to 10, 2011Snow produced heavy accumulations of 8 to 10 inches in an area near the Missouri River in southeast South Dakota during a 24 hour period beginning in the late afternoon of January 9th.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, March 13 to 14, 2019A very strong winter storm moved across the region, bringing heavy snow and blizzard conditions to much of western and south central South Dakota. Snow developed during the morning hours, with rain and snow changing to snow southeast of the Black Hills by the early afternoon.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 21 to 22, 2022Southward pushing cold air near the surface interacted with a post-frontal wave in southwest flow aloft to produce a prolonged period of light snowfall, which began as a period of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle across far southeast South Dakota during the afternoon and…
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, October 22, 2020With cold air entrenched north of a warm front across southern Nebraska and Iowa, lift associated with a strong upper-level jet focused atop the cold dome resulted in widespread light freezing rain and drizzle, and some areas of snow deeper into the cold air.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, April 16, 2014Heavy snow on the roads along with visibility reduction contributed to a fatal accident 20 miles west of Watertown on U.S. Highway 212. The driver was eastbound on the wrong side of the road (westbound lane) when he approached a westbound snowplow.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, January 3, 2020A sharp upper-level trough amplified as it dug through the Northern Plains on January 3. Intensifying low-level wind gradients resulted in a burst of stronger winds for a couple hours, which accompanied snowfall to produce a brief period of dangerous visibility.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, November 24, 2010Light freezing drizzle caused many slippery roads across the area. The icy roads contributed to a two vehicle accident in Edmunds county which resulted in a fatality.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, January 26, 2020Icy roads contributed to a fatal two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 14 three miles west of Wessington in Hand county. One person died and another was seriously injured. A pickup was westbound on U.S.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, January 25, 2023Overall road conditions were poor due to drifting snow with light snowfall and gusty winds, which resulted in several accidents and an indirect fatality.
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, March 14, 2023Incoming low pressure from the west and high pressure to the east resulted in gusty south-southeasterly winds across northeastern South Dakota on the morning of March 14th.
More
Winter Weather everywhereEvery kind of event in South Dakota
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.