National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

December temperatures were very warm, with temperatures averaging around 5 degrees above normal. The area with the greatest departure from normal was northwest South Dakota, where temperatures ranged from 6 to 9 degrees above normal. The coolest area was in the Black Hills into northeast Wyoming, where temperatures were around 1 degree below to 4 degrees above normal. The coolest location was Wright 12W in northeast Wyoming which was 1.1 degrees below normal, while the warmest location was Dupree in northwest South Dakota with 8.9 degrees above normal.

 

Precipitation in December averaged around 75 percent of normal across the entire area.  The wettest areas were over the central and northern Black Hills into portions of northeast Wyoming and far northwest South Dakota, where amounts of around 100 to 150 percent of normal were reported. The driest areas were over west central into south central South Dakota where amounts of around 25 to 75 percent of normal were reported. The wettest location was Camp Crook with 180 percent of normal, and the driest was Redig, where only a trace of precipitation was reported. Snowfall was the heaviest over the northern Black Hills into the Bear Lodge Mountains where 1 to near 3 feet of snow fell. Lead reported 33.5 inches of snow this month.

 

December storm summary... 

December 1^st  – Upslope enhanced snowfall occurred over the northern Black Hills into the Bear Lodge Mountains, bringing multiple reports of over 6” snowfall.   The heaviest snow was in the Deadwood area, where 11” was reported.

December 31^st – Strong west to northwesterly winds developed behind a strong cold front moving through the region. No damage was reported.