National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Dangerous, Record-Breaking Heat to Continue in the Central and Eastern U.S.; Severe Thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest; Critical Fire Weather in the Four Corners

Dangerous, record-breaking heat will continue across most of the central and eastern U.S this week. Heat indices will exceed 100 degrees. Severe storms will be possible from the northern Plains into the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, as well as across the southern Appalachians Thursday, with the primary threat large to very large hail. Critical fire weather to continue in the Four Corners Region Read More >

Overview

The year of 2018 closed with a blast of snow, wind, and cold across northeastern WY and western SD. A strong winter storm brought heavy snowfall and blizzard-like conditions to much of the area on December 30th and 31st. Snow began across northeastern WY on the afternoon of the 30th before gradually spreading across the entire area. Rain preceded the snow across portions of western SD, providing a glaze of ice beneath accumulating snow as temperatures plummeted through the night of the 30th into the morning of the 31st. Hazardous travel conditions caused by a combination of slick roads, heavy snow, and wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph led to the closure of I-90 across portions of WY, and later, closure of both the Gillette-Campbell County Airport and Rapid City Regional Airport.

Heaviest snowfall amounts occurred across northeastern WY and portions of the northern and southern Black Hills, where 8 to nearly 14 inches of snow were reported. Blizzard conditions were observed in Rapid City and the surrounding plains and foothills for several hours on the morning of the 31st. Additionally, downtown Rapid City set a new record daily snowfall for New Year's Eve, with 2.5" of snow breaking the previous record of 2.4" in 1924.

Belle Fourche, SD
Belle Fourche, SD
Courtesy Brian J.
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