Blizzard — Sully, South Dakota

2023-02-22 to 2023-02-23 · Sully, South Dakota

Wider weather episode

Heavy snow and strong winds developed across the region associated with a classic Colorado Low type storm system around mid-day Wednesday, February 22, with strong winds lingering into the early morning hours of Thursday, February 23rd. The highest total of 9.6 inches was observed 4 miles west-northwest of the Lake Cochrane State Recreational Area, with 8.5 inches observed in LaBolt, and 8 inches reported 6 miles east of Hayes. Official observations from Pierre, Watertown and Aberdeen were 7.5, 7.5 and 7.2 inches respectively. A peak wind gust of 56 mph was recorded at Macs Corner, and 54 mph at Summit, and many other locations experienced peak gusts between 40 and 50 mph.

Between the afternoon of Wednesday, February 22nd and Thursday, February 23rd, wind chills fell as low as 41 below zero in Eureka, and 40 below zero in Ridgeview and Selby, while most of the rest of central, north central and northeast South Dakota experienced wind chills of between 30 below zero to 40 below zero.

Travel was severely impacted by this system. The South Dakota Department of Transportation had already closed Interstate 29 on February 21st, and closed Interstate 90 on February 22nd, in addition to advising no travel for just about every route east of Highway 83. Additionally, law enforcement in 10 counties also issued no travel advised during the course of the storm. It took well into Thursday, February 23rd to open many of these roads as many of them had drifted shut.

In the midst of the storm, with moderate intensity snow, winds of 30 mph and temperatures around zero producing wind chills of 25 below zero, Mobridge fire department was dispatched to fight a structure fire.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1078092. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.