SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A system that brought deadly severe weather to parts of the central and southern U.S. over the weekend dumped heavy, wet snow in western South Dakota late Sunday and early Monday.
“It’s all kind of tied together,” National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Mathews told The Associated Press. “This is the back side of that system.”
The weather service posted a winter storm warning for the northern Black Hills early Monday, and nine inches of snow fell three miles southeast of Deadwood. Elementary, middle and high school classes were canceled in the Lead-Deadwood School district.
Interstate 90 and other major roads in the area remained open Monday but drivers were advised to reduce speed and watch for scattered slippery spots and sloppy wet slush.
Lisa Patterson, a cashier at the Badlands Travel Stop off I-90 in Kadoka, said drivers were moving slowly along the highway through 1/4- to 1/2-inch visibility when heavy snow began falling midmorning Monday.
Ten inches of snow were reported in Lawrence County seven miles northwest of Rochford, and seven inches were reported in Pennington County 10 miles northwest of Deerfield. An area of Bennett County 15 miles west of Martin reported 5.5 inches of snow on the ground, according to the National Weather Service.
Nickel- to quarter-sized hail was reported in Hyde County four miles east of Stephan.
Rapid City had a record amount of rain Sunday, with weather service reports showing 1.22 inches at the city’s airport. That broke the April 27 record of 1.05 inches set in 1976.
In Rapid City, golf courses were still dealing with the effects of blizzards in April and October last year. The spring and early fall snowstorms resulted in thousands fewer rounds of golf being played, hurting the courses financially. The October blizzard damaged or destroyed hundreds of trees.
Patterson said it’s odd to be hit with storms so early and so late in the season.
“This winter has lasted for seven months already,” she said.
___
Follow Dirk Lammers on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/ddlammers
Please read our comment policy before commenting.