Thunderstorm Wind — Hutchinson, South Dakota

2025-07-15 · near Freeman, Hutchinson, South Dakota

Event narrative

Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a Road Weather Information System sensor 5 miles south of Freeman. The initial severe gust was at 1842 CST with a peak gust of 61 mph at 1844 CST.

Wider weather episode

A cluster of thunderstorms rapidly developed across south-central South Dakota during the late afternoon on July 15 in response to an eastward moving cold front. These thunderstorms quickly expanded into a line and moved across southeast South Dakota into the mid-late evening, reaching the I-29 corridor by 2000 CST. While a few thunderstorms produced hail up to 1.25 inches in diameter, the primary hazard was severe downburst winds, gusting up to 77 mph and producing sporadic tree and structural damage. The thunderstorms weakened below severe limits upon entering Minnesota and Iowa.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (43.2800, -97.4200)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1287231. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.