Blizzard — Rapid City, South Dakota

2008-11-05 to 2008-11-06 · Rapid City, South Dakota

Wider weather episode

An intense fall storm produced blizzard conditions across the South Dakota plains for over 24 hours. Precipitation started as rain during the day and changed to heavy, wet snow during the evening of the 5th. Snow and blowing snow continued through much of the 6th with visibility near zero much of the time. Snowfall amounts were six to 18 inches with drifts 12 feet high. More than two thousand power poles were downed, causing widespread power outages that affected thousands of residents. Some locations did not have power for over a week, especially across the Pine Ridge Reservation. Most roads across the area, including Interstate 90, were closed for 24 hours or longer. Many livestock died from hypothermia. Officials estimated total damage around 5 million dollars.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 141521. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.