A rare March heat wave is ongoing with much above-normal temperatures over the Southwest U.S. through this weekend. Periods of critical fire weather will persist from the central Rockies to the central and southern Plains through the weekend as gusty winds and low relative humidity continue. A Kona low will continue to bring several rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall to Hawaii through Sunday. Read More >
Overview
A series of severe thunderstorms rolled across northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota on 27 July 2015. Hail up to 3.5" in diameter and wind gusts up to 73 mph were reported. Prodigious amounts of hail fell in Custer, South Dakota. The hail looked like snow due to the depth. Record rainfall also fell at the Rapid City Regional Airport.
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Picture of thunderstorm (courtesy Markus Erk) as it was passing by Bear Butte |
Social Media Reports
Tonight: Car stranded in pile of hail on 8th street in Custer, SD. #kelowx pic.twitter.com/JRMEcc14mh
— Jay Trobec (@trobec) July 28, 2015
Quite the hail haul in Custer, SD by Kristie Meyer. pic.twitter.com/yeh3pm6jFE
— Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) July 28, 2015
@NWSRapidCity Photo from Jerid Maskovich in Custer, SD from earlier this evening. pic.twitter.com/GrNipaFDA3
— NWS Aberdeen (@NWSAberdeen) July 28, 2015
The calm after the storm. A view from the Rapid City WFO of some mammatus clouds from the passing storms! #sdwx pic.twitter.com/ujDc9GAJpx
— NWS Rapid City (@NWSRapidCity) July 28, 2015
Shelf cloud nearly overhead west of howes #sdwx pic.twitter.com/XcwcKc2AF0
— Dan McKemy (@Wx_Dan) July 28, 2015
Great KOTA Territory News viewer and reader photos of today's storm. #hail #storm https://t.co/sjlRbTdLu8 pic.twitter.com/JEE0aJVrsM
— KOTA Territory News (@kotatweets) July 28, 2015
Wild ride in @Custer_SD tonight! @yakishk #snowplows will be out! @lakeforkfishn @wxbrad pic.twitter.com/NLmREkltPX
— Nature Tech Family (@naturetechfam) July 27, 2015
Downtown Custer- @KOTAWeather @yakishk @DavidSWX @mikemodrick @egardnerkota pic.twitter.com/8eCe0mpuOi
— Katy Urban (@KatyUrban1) July 28, 2015
Radar
Hourly radar images from 2 pm MDT 27 July 2015 to 12 am MDT 28 July 2015
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| Radar image at 2 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Radar image at 3 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Radar image at 4 pm MDT 27 July 2015 |
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| Radar image at 5 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Radar image at 6 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Radar image at 7 pm MDT 27 July 2015 |
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| Radar image at 8 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Radar image at 9 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Radar image at 10 pm MDT 27 July 2015 |
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| Radar image at 11 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Radar image at 12 am MDT 28 July 2015 |
Storm Reports
...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL SET AT RAPID CITY AIRPORT SD...
A RECORD RAINFALL OF 0.74 INCHES WAS SET AT RAPID CITY AIRPORT SD YESTERDAY (July 27, 2015). THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 0.62 SET IN 1953.
Below is a map of storm reports from July 27, 2015.
THE STORM REPORTS LISTED BELOW ARE IN DESCENDING ORDER AND MAY NOT NECESSARILY
BE THE FINAL STORM REPORTS for July 27, 2015.
HAIL REPORTS LISTED BY SIZE (INCHES)
SIZE LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
3.50 3 ESE HILL CITY SD PENNINGTON 0500 PM
1.75 2 NW MOUNT RUSHMORE SD PENNINGTON 0510 PM
SHAVE REPORT
1.75 3 W STONEVILLE SD MEADE 0505 PM
SHAVE REPORT
1.75 5 NE GALENA SD LAWRENCE 0245 PM
SHAVE REPORT
1.50 2 E KEYSTONE SD PENNINGTON 0515 PM
SHAVE REPORT
1.50 3 S HILL CITY SD PENNINGTON 0515 PM
1.25 4 S DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY SD PENNINGTON 0545 PM
1.25 1 NW DOWNTOWN STURGIS SD MEADE 0254 PM
SHAVE REPORT
1.00 DOWNTOWN HOT SPRINGS SD FALL RIVER 0607 PM
1.00 ROCKERVILLE SD PENNINGTON 0523 PM
1.00 3 SW DOWNTOWN CUSTER SD CUSTER 0522 PM
1.00 KEYSTONE SD PENNINGTON 0515 PM
1.00 4 W DOWNTOWN CUSTER SD CUSTER 0505 PM
SHAVE REPORT
1.00 JEWEL CAVE SD CUSTER 0450 PM
1.00 2 W FAIRPOINT SD MEADE 0415 PM
1.00 VALE SD BUTTE 0325 PM
1.00 2 NW DOWNTOWN STURGIS SD MEADE 0253 PM
SHAVE REPORT
TSTM WIND REPORTS LISTED BY SPEED (MPH)
SPEED LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
73.00 7 E WANBLEE SD JACKSON 1018 PM
73.00 1 WSW RED ELM SD ZIEBACH 0748 PM
72.00 RAPID CITY AIRPORT SD PENNINGTON 0555 PM
70.00 OGLALA SD SHANNON 0714 PM
70.00 ENNING SD MEADE 0645 PM
69.00 4 S DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY SD PENNINGTON 0548 PM
68.00 1 NE MIDLAND SD HAAKON 0850 PM
66.00 4 E CACTUS FLAT SD JACKSON 0820 PM
65.00 1 SW DOWNTOWN RAPID CIT SD PENNINGTON 0542 PM
64.00 10 SW HILL CITY SD CUSTER 0435 PM
63.00 3 NNW SCENIC SD PENNINGTON 0740 PM
60.00 WHITE RIVER SD MELLETTE 1000 PM
60.00 DUPREE SD ZIEBACH 0820 PM
60.00 2 SW BRIDGER SD ZIEBACH 0720 PM
60.00 17 SW USTA SD PERKINS 0707 PM
60.00 8 E SMITHWICK SD FALL RIVER 0705 PM
60.00 1 W HOWES SD MEADE 0703 PM
60.00 20 S REVA SD HARDING 0615 PM
60.00 9 NNE BOX ELDER SD MEADE 0558 PM
60.00 6 E KEYSTONE SD PENNINGTON 0527 PM
60.00 JEWEL CAVE SD CUSTER 0450 PM
60.00 14 SW DOWNTOWN NEWCASTL WY WESTON 0345 PM
60.00 VALE SD BUTTE 0325 PM
60.00 6 NE DOWNTOWN STURGIS SD MEADE 0310 PM
60.00 6 SE DEADWOOD SD LAWRENCE 0235 PM
59.00 1 NNE FAITH SD MEADE 0730 PM
57.00 3 E WICKSVILLE SD PENNINGTON 0738 PM
55.00 4 SSE WITTEN SD TRIPP 1129 PM
55.00 7 E WANBLEE SD JACKSON 0940 PM
54.00 7 E WANBLEE SD JACKSON 0830 PM
54.00 1 NW WALL SD PENNINGTON 0755 PM
54.00 7 SSE MEADOW SD PERKINS 0738 PM
52.00 9 ENE BELVIDERE SD JACKSON 0900 PM
Environment
NWS Rapid City balloon information showed an unstable air mass with moderate vertical wind shear.
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| Sounding for Rapid City at 2 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Hodograph for Rapid City at 2 pm MDT 27 July 2015 |
The surface map (left) and precipitable water plot (right) indicated a moderately moist environment.
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| Surface map valid 5 pm MDT 27 July 2015 | Precipitable water plot valid 6 pm MDT 27 July 2015 (00z the 28th) |
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