National Weather Service data show the 2022-2023 winter was one of the most extreme in recent memory, with snowfall and temperatures far from average in several parts of the state.
Winter weather beganin early December, with two storms bringing freezing rain and snow. The precipitation caused the closing of interstates and left thousands of rural residents stranded, including those on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
South-central South Dakota saw another big snowstorm in early January, with Humboldt receiving 25 inches.
Snowfall extended into the spring: Aberdeen received 26 inches of snow in March, well above the monthly average of 6 inches. And west river, a storm in early April dropped30 inches of snow near Hot Springs, and a foot across west-river South Dakota.
That meant higher than average seasonal snowfall totals across the state.
The area where total snowfall neared historic highs was Sioux Falls. The 2022-2023 winter had the eighth-highest total snowfall on record.
Moisture conditions had other impacts on the state. Watertown, for example, saw record-highlevels of fog in January.
The Northern Plains experienced a third year of la Niña conditions, bringing cold Artic air to the area. Temperatures in South Dakota reached dangerously cold levels around Christmas in the eastern part of the state. On Dec. 22, the wind chill reached-53 degrees in Madison. Wind speeds over 50 miles per hour were also recorded in several areas.