National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heavy Rainfall and Flooding Threats in the Midwest and Ohio Valley; Heat Continues in the Plains and Southeast

An active pattern will continue to bring heavy to excessive rainfall and flash flooding threats to the Midwest and Ohio Valley over the next couple of days. Dangerous heat continues across the central/southern Plains and Southeast U.S. into next week. There is potential for record-tying/breaking temperatures with many areas forecast to see their hottest temperatures so far this year. 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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