National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Rapid City, SD

Weather Forecast Office

June 28, 2025 White River Valley, SD Tornado

Weather.gov > Rapid City, SD > June 28, 2025 White River Valley, SD Tornado

Overview

During the afternoon of June 28, 2025, a supercell that started in southeastern Montana tracked into western South Dakota. This storm brought winds over 80 mph and tennis ball to softball sized hail, damaging crops and farm equipment. At times the storm appeared tornadic and warranted a few tornado warnings. As the storm approached Kadoka, it dropped a tornado on the White River Valley area. The EF-2 tornado caused two injuries and significant damage to structures and trees.

Another round of severe weather occurred June 29th, in the form of two supercells that moved from Weston County, WY through southwestern SD. While not as strong as the supercell on the 28th, these storms brought hail up to the size of golf balls and winds up to 60 mph. There were several reports of accumulating hail that needed to be plowed off the roads.

Mag=structure-8x

 A massive, layered supercell thunderstorm with a rotating updraft dominates the sky over a flat, green landscape. The storm's dark, ominous base and layered cloud structure are prominent against the brighter sky near the horizon. A road is visible in the foreground, with grass on either side, and the view is from inside a vehicle.
5 miles ENE Kadoka, SD June 28, 2024 648 PM shortly after the tornado began looking to the southwest (Courtesy Maria Bunkers)

Tornadoes

Select a tornado from the table to zoom into the track and view more information. The default table view is limited to 8 tracks, but can be scrolled by a mouse wheel or dynamically expanded. Additionally, the table can fill the entire window by clicking the small circular expanding arrow icon at the very top right of the table and returned to its original size by clicking the button again. The side information panel that opens over the map can be closed using the "X" on the upper right corner of the pop-up. Zoom into the map and click damage points to see detailed information and pictures from the surveys.

How to Use the Map

NOTE: times shown below are local to your device's time zone.

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EF-Scale

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0
Weak
65-85 mph		 EF1
Moderate
86-110 mph		 EF2
Significant
111-135 mph		 EF3
Severe
136-165 mph		 EF4
Extreme
166-200 mph		 EF5
Catastrophic
200+ mph
ef-scale
Tornadoes that fail to impact any ratable damage indicators on the EF-Scale are rated EF-Unknown (EF-U)

Supercell Tracks

24-hour Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flases Ending June 29, 2025 at 6am MDT 24-hour Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flases Ending June 30, 2025 at 6am MDT 6-hour "Hail Swath" Ending at 900 pm June 28, 2025 Photo
24-hour Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flases Ending June 29, 2025 at 6am MDT 24-hour Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flases Ending June 30, 2025 at 6am MDT 6-hour "Hail Swath" Ending at 900 pm June 28, 2025 6-hour "Hail Swath" Ending at 700 pm June 29, 2025

Photos & Video

Tornado Damage

A severely damaged single-story house is shown with its roof and walls partially torn off, exposing the interior. Debris is scattered around the property, and a grassy hill is in the background. A silver sedan is parked on a concrete slab next to a grassy hill. Debris is scattered on the ground around the car and a hose is lying on the concrete. A small wooden building with a metal roof is tilted on its side, leaning against a tree. The front is torn open, revealing a pile of debris inside. A cinder block retaining wall is shown next to the foundation of a building. The wall is partially covered in dirt and debris.
A concrete slab where a building was destroyed with tree damage A destroyed wooden barn or outbuilding is surrounded by a large pile of debris, including broken wood, metal siding, and tree limbs. The roof is partially missing and the walls are collapsed. A leafless, damaged tree with broken branches stands against a clear blue sky. Other broken trees and green brush are visible in the foreground. An overturned trailer lies on its side in a grassy field with trees in the background.
A dirt lot is covered with scattered cinder blocks, pieces of concrete, and other debris. In the background, a large, broken tree is visible under a blue sky. /images/unr/historical/weather/2025-06-28_29/Tornado%20Damage/IMG_4928.jpg A large, uprooted tree with a broken trunk and branches lies on the ground. A red log splitter sits on the grass in the foreground. A broken utility pole and a transformer lie on the ground, surrounded by twisted metal and wood debris.

 

Storm Structure

A dramatic photograph shows a large, ominous supercell thunderstorm over a flat, grassy landscape. The cloud formation is immense and circular, with a sculpted, dome-like appearance at its center, surrounded by swirling, layered clouds. A rain shaft is visible beneath the storm's core. The sky is dark and turbulent, with a slight yellowish or orange tint on the horizon to the right, suggesting the time is near sunset. The foreground is a green field with scattered trees and some faint white structures in the distance under the storm. A powerful, multi-layered supercell thunderstorm with a massive, rotating updraft looms over a flat, grassy landscape. Rain and hail shafts are visible under the dark, textured cloud base. In the foreground, there is a dirt road and a small vehicle, with an area of gravel or sand to the right. The sky is filled with dramatic, turbulent clouds, and the scene evokes a sense of both awe and danger. A vast, dark storm cloud dominates the right side of the sky, with a heavy downpour of rain visible underneath. A break in the clouds reveals a brighter patch of sky and some lighter, more turbulent clouds within the storm structure. A lone wooden power line structure stands in the middle of a gently rolling, green field. The horizon is a mix of green hills and a distant, hazy line. The scene is a mix of serene landscape and dramatic weather. A powerful storm with a rotating updraft and turbulent clouds is shown over a rural landscape. A large, white, cloud formation, possibly a wall cloud or developing funnel, hangs low from the main cloud base. In the foreground, a tractor and another piece of farm equipment are visible in a field with hay bales. The scene is overcast with a sense of impending severe weather.
Near Kadoka, SD (Courtesy Matthew Bunkers) Highway 79 and I-90 (Courtesy Matthew Bunkers) Near Hereford, SD (Courtesy Matthew Bunkers) Near Elm Springs, SD (Courtesy Matthew Bunkers)

Time-Lapse of the Supercell (Courtesy Matthew Bunkers)

Social Media

 

Radar

A radar image displays a supercell thunderstorm in vivid colors, with the strongest echoes (reds and purples) extending from Belle Fourche to Newell. A radar image displays two intense storm cells, one near Sturgis and another forming a hook echo near Union Center. A split radar image shows a supercell thunderstorm near Kadoka, with a prominent hook echo visible in the reflectivity on the left, and corresponding strong rotation indicated by red and blue colors in the velocity data on the right. A split radar image shows a supercell thunderstorm near Kadoka, South Dakota, with a hook echo in reflectivity and strong rotation in velocity data.
June 28, 2025 350 PM MDT Base Reflectivity from KUDX June 28, 2025 457 PM MDT Base Reflectivity from KUDX June 28, 2025 646 PM MDT Base Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity from KUDX June 28, 2025 659 PM MDT Base Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity from KUDX

Time lapse of base reflectivity for the tornadic supercell.

Storm Reports

The following are unofficial observations taken from Saturday
afternoon (June 28, 2025) through Sunday evening (June 29, 2025)

...MAXIMUM OBSERVED WINDS (AT LEAST 50 MPH) SORTED BY MAGNITUDE...

LOCATION                      MAX WIND    COMMENTS
                               MPH

17 NNW New Haven WY              90       1019 PM 6/28/2025
1 NNW Nisland SD                 85        350 PM 6/28/2025
4 E Cactus Flat SD               85        635 PM 6/28/2025
Vale SD                          80        400 PM 6/28/2025
2 W Nisland SD                   80        342 PM 6/28/2025
1 N Hereford SD                  80        442 PM 6/28/2025
3 NNE Harrington SD              73       1145 PM 6/28/2025
11 SW Parmelee SD                71       1150 PM 6/28/2025
6 W Cottonwood SD                68        621 PM 6/28/2025
5 NE Porcupine SD                67       1041 PM 6/28/2025
11 SSE Hereford SD               66        505 PM 6/28/2025
1 S White River SD               65       1210 AM 6/29/2025
6 WSW Long Valley SD             65        740 PM 6/28/2025
7 NW Rockypoint WY               65       1014 PM 6/28/2025
2 E Elm Springs SD               65        520 PM 6/28/2025
13 NW Belle Fourche SD           61       1135 PM 6/28/2025
1 ESE Martin SD                  60       1105 PM 6/28/2025
14 NNW Edgemont SD               60        500 PM 6/29/2025
14 E Ellsworth AFB SD            60        500 PM 6/28/2025
3 NNE Newcastle WY               60        200 PM 6/29/2025
11 SW Oelrichs SD                60        612 PM 6/29/2025
1 W Manderson SD                 60        512 PM 6/29/2025
5 SE Norris SD                   60        724 PM 6/28/2025
6 W Parmelee SD                  59       1145 PM 6/28/2025
3 NW Wasta SD                    59        545 PM 6/28/2025
4 ENE Martin SD                  58       1110 PM 6/28/2025
15 SSE Mission SD                58       1216 AM 6/29/2025
1 NE Midland SD                  57        337 AM 6/29/2025
2 E Cottonwood SD                57        630 PM 6/28/2025
7 ESE Rosebud SD                 56       1210 AM 6/29/2025
Wasta SD                         56        545 PM 6/28/2025
1 NE Winner SD                   55       1255 AM 6/29/2025
2 SSW Custer SD                  54        256 PM 6/29/2025
9 SW Batesland SD                54       1201 AM 6/29/2025
7 E Wanblee SD                   54       1120 PM 6/28/2025
8 NNW Oshoto WY                  54       1025 PM 6/28/2025
4 SSE Witten SD                  53       1246 AM 6/29/2025
1 NNE Faith SD                   52        436 PM 6/29/2025
10 W Edgemont SD                 51       1005 PM 6/28/2025
9 ENE Belvidere SD               51        347 AM 6/29/2025
11 SSW Oelrichs SD               51        610 PM 6/29/2025
3 E Philip SD                    51        318 AM 6/29/2025
3 W Union Center SD              51        100 AM 6/29/2025
4 NNE Colome SD                  50        105 AM 6/29/2025
Union Center SD                  50        105 AM 6/29/2025
1 SSE Pine Ridge SD              50       1145 PM 6/28/2025

...MAXIMUM HAIL SIZE (AT LEAST 0.50 INCH) SORTED BY MAGNITUDE...

LOCATION                      MAX SIZE    COMMENTS
                               IN/S/

18 W Kadoka SD                 4.50        625 PM 6/28/2025
Vale SD                        2.50        400 PM 6/28/2025
1 N Hereford SD                2.50        442 PM 6/28/2025
6 NNW Hereford SD              1.75        435 PM 6/28/2025
2 W Nisland SD                 1.75        342 PM 6/28/2025
11 SW Rockyford SD             1.75        440 PM 6/29/2025
1 WSW Newcastle WY             1.50        540 AM 6/29/2025
7 NNE Ellsworth AFB SD         1.50        455 PM 6/28/2025
10 N Belle Fourche SD          1.50        315 PM 6/28/2025
Edgemont SD                    1.25        525 PM 6/29/2025
4 NNE Fruitdale SD             1.25        335 PM 6/28/2025
Newcastle WY                   1.25        531 AM 6/29/2025
1 NW Kadoka SD                 1.00        650 PM 6/28/2025
13 E Ardmore SD                1.00        620 PM 6/29/2025
14 E Ellsworth AFB SD          1.00        547 PM 6/28/2025
2 SE Custer SD                 1.00        635 AM 6/29/2025
14 ESE Custer SD               1.00        325 PM 6/29/2025
2 WSW Custer SD                1.00        252 PM 6/29/2025
1 W Manderson SD               1.00        512 PM 6/29/2025
14 N Belle Fourche SD          1.00        315 PM 6/28/2025
12 SSW Newcastle WY            1.00        413 PM 6/29/2025
Custer SD                      0.70        307 PM 6/29/2025
6 N Newcastle WY               0.50        150 PM 6/29/2025
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