Severe thunderstorms will be possible over parts of the northern Plains today through Thursday which could bring large hail, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes. Today and Wednesday, thunderstorms with heavy to excessive rainfall may produce flooding over parts of the southern High Plains. North Dakota could also see heavy to excessive rainfall today. Read More >
Overview
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A powerful early spring storm brought a variety of weather to the area the weekend of March 14-15, 2026. The early morning of March 14th saw a band of light snow lift north, but the main impacts were felt from Saturday evening through Sunday night. |
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Wind
...HIGHEST WIND REPORTS DURING MARCH 14-15 2026 BLIZZARD... Location Speed Time/Date Provider ...Iowa... ...Buena Vista County... Storm Lake Airport 58 MPH 0415 PM 03/15 AWOS Storm Lake 53 MPH 0720 PM 03/15 MESOWEST ...Cherokee County... Cherokee Municipal Airport 49 MPH 0705 PM 03/15 AWOS ...Clay County... Spencer Municipal Airport 60 MPH 0725 PM 03/15 ASOS Spencer 45 MPH 1030 PM 03/15 MESOWEST ...Dickinson County... Lake Park 48 MPH 1100 PM 03/15 CWOP Spirit Lake 44 MPH 0911 PM 03/15 CWOP ...Ida County... Battle Creek 55 MPH 0705 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...Lyon County... Larchwood 38 MPH 0655 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...OBrien County... Sheldon Airport 53 MPH 0715 PM 03/15 AWOS ...Plymouth County... Le Mars Airport 49 MPH 0535 PM 03/15 AWOS Sioux City 45 MPH 1115 PM 03/15 DAVIS Remsen 38 MPH 0545 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...Sioux County... 1 NE Maurice 56 MPH 0215 PM 03/15 AWOS Hawarden 49 MPH 0540 PM 03/15 CWOP ...Woodbury County... Sioux Gateway Airport 59 MPH 0613 PM 03/15 ASOS Moville 48 MPH 0545 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Sioux City 47 MPH 0605 PM 03/15 MESOWEST ...Minnesota... ...Cottonwood County... T.h.60 - Mountain Lake - Mp 60 MPH 0715 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Windom Municipal Airport 56 MPH 0815 PM 03/15 AWOS T.h.71 - Jeffers - Mp 43 55 MPH 0645 PM 03/15 MESOWEST ...Jackson County... I-90 - Lakefield - Mp 67 57 MPH 0730 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Jackson Airport 56 MPH 0815 PM 03/15 AWOS Lakefield 49 MPH 0648 PM 03/15 CWOP ...Lincoln County... U.s.14 - Lake Benton - Mp 7 53 MPH 0815 PM 03/15 MESOWEST T.h.19 - Hendricks - Mp 2 51 MPH 0615 PM 03/15 MESOWEST ...Lyon County... U.s.14 - Florence - Mp 21.2 64 MPH 0620 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Marshall Municipal Airport 53 MPH 0622 PM 03/15 AWOS T.h.68 - Taunton - Mp 22.9 52 MPH 0725 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Tracy Airport 49 MPH 0515 PM 03/15 AWOS Marshall 40 MPH 1008 PM 03/15 CWOP ...Murray County... T.h.30 - Dovray - Mp 49 53 MPH 0800 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Slayton Municipal Airport 45 MPH 0733 PM 03/15 AWOS ...Nobles County... I-90 - Rushmore - Mp 35 56 MPH 0510 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Worthington Airport 56 MPH 0701 PM 03/15 AWOS Reading 40 MPH 0735 PM 03/15 DAVIS Reading 38 MPH 0135 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...Pipestone County... U.s.75 - Trosky - Mp 30.3 60 MPH 0710 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Redstone RAWS 46 MPH 0621 PM 03/15 RAWS ...Rock County... I-90 - Beaver Creek Mp 4 58 MPH 0510 PM 03/15 MESOWEST I-90 - Magnolia - Mp 21.6 54 MPH 0820 PM 03/15 MESOWEST Luverne Airport 45 MPH 0615 PM 03/15 AWOS Luverne 43 MPH 0545 PM 03/15 CWOP ...Nebraska... ...Dakota County... D3-Rwis 35 48.65 50 MPH 0607 PM 03/15 MESOWEST South Sioux City 45 MPH 1000 PM 03/15 CWOP ...Dixon County... Concord 2E 50 MPH 0615 PM 03/15 NE-MESO ...South Dakota... ...Aurora County... White Lake (SD Mesonet) 44 MPH 0420 PM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Beadle County... SD RWIS WOLSEY 44 MPH 0423 PM 03/15 SDDOT ...Bon Homme County... SD RWIS Tyndall 54 MPH 0209 PM 03/15 SDDOT Avon 3E (SD Mesonet) 50 MPH 1155 AM 03/15 SDSMESO Scotland 41 MPH 0245 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...Brookings County... Brookings Municipal Airport 46 MPH 0339 PM 03/15 AWOS Volga (SD Mesonet) 46 MPH 0730 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Brookings 2NE (SD Mesonet) 42 MPH 0605 PM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Brule County... SD RWIS Kimball 53 MPH 0400 PM 03/15 SDDOT Academy 3NNW (SD Mesonet) 48 MPH 1220 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Chamberlain Municipal Airpor 40 MPH 0255 PM 03/15 ASOS ...Charles Mix County... Lake Andes RAWS 53 MPH 0241 PM 03/15 RAWS SD RWIS Platte-Winner Bridge 53 MPH 0439 PM 03/15 SDDOT SD RWIS WAGNER 51 MPH 1138 AM 03/15 SDDOT Wagner 49 MPH 0324 PM 03/15 AWOS ...Clay County... Beresford 7 WSW (SD Mesonet) 50 MPH 0140 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Vermillion 49 MPH 0655 PM 03/15 AWOS Wakonda 44 MPH 0225 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...Davison County... Mitchell Municipal Airport 47 MPH 1050 AM 03/15 ASOS Mount Vernon (SD Mesonet) 47 MPH 0225 PM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Douglas County... Armour 42 MPH 0440 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...Gregory County... SD RWIS Ft. Randall Dam 59 MPH 0137 PM 03/15 SDDOT Gregory 7SSW (SD Mesonet) 47 MPH 0355 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Gregory 16N (SD Mesonet) 46 MPH 0405 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Butte 8NNW 42 MPH 0200 PM 03/15 CWOP Herrick 38 MPH 0205 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...Hanson County... SD RWIS Alexandria 52 MPH 0254 PM 03/15 SDDOT ...Hutchinson County... SD RWIS Freeman 51 MPH 0329 PM 03/15 SDDOT SD RWIS Tripp 51 MPH 0438 PM 03/15 SDDOT Menno 7ESE (SD Mesonet) 51 MPH 0530 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Parkston (SD Mesonet) 42 MPH 0200 PM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Jerauld County... SD RWIS Lane 48 MPH 0112 PM 03/15 SDDOT 2 ESE Wessington Springs 38 MPH 0455 PM 03/15 AWOS ...Kingsbury County... De Smet 7N (SD Mesonet) 47 MPH 0545 PM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Lake County... Madison Airport 54 MPH 1115 AM 03/15 AWOS Madison 6S (SD Mesonet) 50 MPH 1105 AM 03/15 SDSMESO SD RWIS MADISON 50 MPH 0651 PM 03/15 SDDOT ...Lincoln County... SD RWIS Davis 54 MPH 1157 AM 03/15 SDDOT HARRISBURG 39 MPH 1144 AM 03/15 CWOP Tea 39 MPH 0855 PM 03/15 AWOS ...McCook County... SD RWIS Montrose 55 MPH 1238 PM 03/15 SDDOT SD RWIS STANLEY CORNER 55 MPH 0450 PM 03/15 SDDOT Salem 39 MPH 0305 PM 03/15 DAVIS Canova 39 MPH 0325 PM 03/15 CWOP Salem 39 MPH 0345 PM 03/15 DAVIS Bridgewater 38 MPH 0315 PM 03/15 DAVIS ...Miner County... Carthage 3E (SD Mesonet) 47 MPH 0335 PM 03/15 SDSMESO SD RWIS Howard 46 MPH 0250 PM 03/15 SDDOT ...Minnehaha County... SD RWIS DELL RAPIDS 59 MPH 1239 PM 03/15 SDDOT Sioux Falls Airport 53 MPH 1222 PM 03/15 ASOS Baltic 3 SE (SD Mesonet) 45 MPH 0130 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Sioux Falls 10 WSW (SD Meson 42 MPH 1255 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Sioux Falls (SD Mesonet) 41 MPH 1140 AM 03/15 SDSMESO Colton 2 ESE (SD Mesonet) 41 MPH 1205 PM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Moody County... Flandreau 3 NNE (SD Mesonet) 51 MPH 1135 AM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Sanborn County... SD RWIS ALPENA 48 MPH 0544 PM 03/15 SDDOT SD RWIS Forestburg 48 MPH 0609 PM 03/15 SDDOT Woonsocket 4NNW (SD Mesonet) 44 MPH 0230 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Letcher 2ENE (SD Mesonet) 43 MPH 0455 PM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Turner County... SD RWIS Parker 56 MPH 0104 PM 03/15 SDDOT SD RWIS IRENE 51 MPH 1237 PM 03/15 SDDOT Parker 7NNE (SD Mesonet) 51 MPH 0750 PM 03/15 SDSMESO Hurley 5SW (SD Mesonet) 50 MPH 0455 PM 03/15 SDSMESO ...Union County... SD RWIS North Sioux City 53 MPH 0604 PM 03/15 SDDOT ...Yankton County... SD RWIS VELDIN CORNER 55 MPH 0258 PM 03/15 SDDOT SD RWIS Gayville 53 MPH 0529 PM 03/15 SDDOT Yankton Municipal Airport 48 MPH 0240 PM 03/15 AWOS Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official. $$
Snow/Ice
...2-DAY SNOWFALL REPORTS FOR MARCH 14-15 2026 BLIZZARD... Location Amount Time/Date Provider ...Iowa... ...Cherokee County... 0.9 NE Cherokee 2.0 in 0800 AM 03/16 COOP ...Dickinson County... 0.6 E Spirit Lake 4.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COOP ...Ida County... Arthur 3.7 SSW 2.0 in 0638 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Lyon County... Rock Rapids 1.5 in 0800 AM 03/16 COOP ...OBrien County... Sheldon 3.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COOP ...Osceola County... Sibley 4.7 in 0800 AM 03/16 COOP ...Plymouth County... 6 NNE Jefferson 2.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Le Mars 0.5 in 0800 AM 03/16 COOP ...Woodbury County... Sergeant Bluff 1.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 Official NWS Obs ...Minnesota... ...Lyon County... Marshall 8.0 in 0800 AM 03/16 COOP 4 S Cottonwood 7.7 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Balaton 2.1 SE 6.3 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Murray County... Slayton 0.8 SSW 7.7 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Pipestone County... Edgerton 0.2 WSW 5.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Rock County... Hills 0.2 NW 3.4 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...South Dakota... ...Beadle County... 2 S Huron 6.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 Official NWS Obs ...Bon Homme County... Tyndall 2.2 in 0700 AM 03/16 COOP ...Brookings County... Brookings 1.6 S 6.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Aurora 0.3 NNE 5.0 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Brookings 0.2 SSW 4.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Brookings 6.5 NNW 3.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Brule County... Chamberlain 7.5 SSW 5.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Pukwana 1.9 S 3.7 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Clay County... Vermillion 1.4 SE 2.5 in 0600 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1.4 S Vermillion 2.3 in 1130 AM 03/15 COOP ...Gregory County... Burke 10.5 SSE 4.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Gregory 3.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COOP ...Jerauld County... Wessington Springs 4.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COOP ...Kingsbury County... De Smet 5.3 in 0800 PM 03/15 COOP ...Lake County... Madison 2SE 5.3 in 0900 AM 03/16 COOP ...Lincoln County... 3 NNE Tea 6.7 in 1252 PM 03/15 Canton 6.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COOP Harrisburg 0.8 NNE 3.9 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...McCook County... Montrose 5.5 in 0900 AM 03/16 COOP Montrose 5.8 NW 3.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Minnehaha County... Renner 4.1 NW 7.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Sioux Falls 5.2 E 5.1 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Sioux Falls 1.1 SSE 4.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 3 N Sioux Falls 4.1 in 0700 AM 03/16 Official NWS Obs Hartford 0.5 N 3.5 in 0600 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 5 W Garretson 3.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Moody County... Flandreau 4.0 in 0630 AM 03/16 COOP ...Sanborn County... Woonsocket 0.2 WSW 3.1 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Letcher 0.5 E 2.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Yankton County... Yankton 1.0 ESE 3.0 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official. $$
Radar
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| Saturday evening radar update showing areas of snow, rain to freezing rain & snow transition, and areas of rain. | Radar loop from 2-4 am Sunday morning. Areas of eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota were experiencing thundersnow, while areas of northwestern Iowa were experiencing thunderstorms. | SPC mesoscale discussion highlighting the area where blizzard conditions are expected to develop Sunday afternoon. |
Environment
Synoptic summary.
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| Figure 1: Surface map analysis from 1 am Sunday. Surface low pressure approaching from the southwest, pushing warm air ahead of it triggering initial rain and snow showers. | Figure 2: Surface map analysis from 4 am Sunday showing the winter storm intensifying as a cold front moves southeast through the region, amplifying surface winds. | Figure 3: Surface map analysis from 4 pm Sunday showing the winter storm moving off to the east. Snow is mostly concluded at this point, however winds are rapidly increasing resulting in widespread blizzard conditions. |
Additional environmental data.
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| Figure 4: WPC Day 1 Probability of at least 4 inches of snow. High probability (>70%) for areas of east central South Dakota north of I-90 and southwestern Minnesota. Probability drops of rapidly to the south of I-90. | Figure 5: WPC Day 1 Probability of at least 8 inches of snow. High probability (>70%) for portions of southwestern Minnesota with a slight chance (10%) extending into north eastern South Dakota. | Figure 6: Webcam images from around the region on Sunday around 10 am. Road conditions were deteriorating quickly and no travel was advised in many locations. |
Additional Information
The Forecast
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| NWS Sioux Falls Impact based Decision Support Services forecast packet. This slide details the impacts of the winter storm. | NWS Sioux Falls Impact based Decision Support Services forecast packet. This slide details the very strong winds expected to result in blizzard conditions. |
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