Winter Weather in Southern Foothills, South Dakota

An intense low pressure system developed over the central Plains and only slowly moved east-northeast across the region during the Christmas holiday period. Heavy snow developed from south-central South Dakota, west-northwest into the northern Black Hills area. Strong winds on the plains produced blowing snow and blizzard conditions at times across much of the southwest into central South Dakota plains. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 15 inches were noted over a good portion of southwest and south-central South Dakota and the northern Black Hills area, with locally higher amounts. Snowfall amounts tailed off quite a bit into northwest South Dakota, especially far northwest South Dakota. Amounts were also less in downslope favored areas of the eastern/southeastern Black Hills and adjacent plains. Travel was very difficult to near impossible in some areas, with Interstate 90 east of Rapid City closed for an extended period on December 26th into the 27th.