High Wind in Stanley, South Dakota

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) mesonet station 12 miles east of Hayes recorded a peak wind gust of 75 mph while the South Dakota State University mesonet station 7 miles southwest of Hayes peaked at 73 mph. The SDDOT station at Foster Bay recorded a peak gust of 72 mph while two additional mesonet stations in Stanley county recording peak wind gusts in excess of 60 mph.

Unseasonably mild air moved into the region ahead of a strong low pressure system. These conditions, on top of a fairly dry February across western South Dakota allowed a fire to develop northeast of the community of Green Grass and spread rapidly southeast. 991 acres of mostly prairie and pasture were burned in the fire, with a portion of Highway 63 closed due to smoke and the threat of the fire crossing the Highway.

Winds picked up dramatically with the passage of the low pressure system, with a peak wind gust of 81 mph recorded at the Pierre Regional Airport ASOS. The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) Road Weather Information System (RWIS) 1 mile west northwest of Summit recorded a wind gust as high as 79 mph, while the SDDOT RWIS 3 miles southeast of Reliance recorded a peak wind of 77 mph. Another 23 weather stations would record a peak wind in excess of 70 mph.

These high winds were responsible for at least one semi being blown off Interstate 29 near Summit, forcing a closure of the southbound lane.