Blizzard Conditions, Heavy Snow, and Hazardous Travel Expected
- WeatherSD
- 5 minutes ago
- 1 min read
A powerful winter storm is anticipated to affect South Dakota this weekend, possibly leading to substantial snowfall, blizzard conditions, and dangerous travel conditions.
Overnight, weather models have shifted the storm track slightly northward, which does not impact snowfall amounts much in the north, but for the south, along Interstate 90 and south, precipitation may start as rain before changing to snow, which will impact snowfall amounts.
During the 00z model run, the American (GFS) model has forecast heavy snow accumulations along US Highway 12, with a prediction of snow totals over a foot.
The European (ECMWF) model agrees with the GFS model by giving the most significant snow across parts of the northeast but has decreased amounts further to the west.
Then the Canadian (GEM) model is more in line with the American GFS model, predicting heavy snows with over a foot in parts of the northeast and spreading those heavy snows towards the west.
Putting this all together, the official snowfall forecast calls for over a foot of snow in parts of east-central and northeast South Dakota, including the Brookings, Estelline, Castlewood, Clear Lake, Watertown, Milbank, Wilmot, Florence, and Summit areas. 9 to 12 inches are expected from the Madison, Huron, De Smet, Redfield, Clark, Aberdeen, Sisseton, Faulkton, and Miller areas.
Timing of the Precipitation:
In addition to the heavy snow expected, strong winds will be part of the storm system, creating areas of blowing snow and blizzard conditions. Winds are expected to increase by Saturday night and continue through Sunday, with gusts over 40mph expected in some areas.
