National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

A powerful spring blizzard brought heavy snow and strong winds to the Black Hills area Monday and Tuesday, March 23-24.  The storm followed record-breaking temperatures in the 70s on March 21 and 22.

Storm total snowfall from cooperative observing stations around the Black Hills include:

Lead, SD                             43.7 inches
2 NE Deadwood, SD         30.7
8 W Spearfish, SD             25
Fort Meade, SD                  16
Hoover, SD                          16
Opal, SD                              16
11 N Porcupine, SD           12
SW Shadehill, SD               11.6
Rapid City Airport, SD        11.5
Oral, SD                                11
Downtown Rapid City, SD    8.4
Hot Springs, SD                     8
Hill City, SD                            8
Pactola, SD                            7.7
14 NE Upton, WY                   7.5
Mission, SD                            6
Wind Cave, SD                      5.6
Edgemont, SD                       3
Newcastle, WY                       3

The list is not complete as some stations have been unable to send reports.

Additional reports from spotters and other volunteer observers include:

4 NNW Whitewood, SD       18
15 NNE Recluse, WY           15
2 SE Colony, WY                  12
Spearfish, SD                       12
10 SW Rapid City, SD         12
3 WNW Rapid City, SD       12
Gillette, WY                           10
9 N Box Elder, SD               10
5 E Rapid City, SD                8.2
5 WNW Moorcroft, WY          8
4 E Four Corners, WY           8
4 WSW Hot Springs, SD      8
7 SSE Bison, SD                   8
7 SW Oelrichs, SD                7
Deerfield, SD                         6
5 SW Rapid City, SD            6
3 ENE Newell, SD                 6

Wind gusts as high as 80 mph whipped the snow into drifts four to six feet high.