Tracking a Significant Spring Storm Impacting the Central U.S. This Week

A significant storm will track across the central U.S. and into the Great Lakes through Thursday. Heavy snow and blowing snow is expected from the northern Plains into the Upper Midwest. Further south, severe thunderstorms are expected from the southern Plains into the Midwest as well as a multi-day excessive rain and flooding event Wednesday through Saturday from the Ozarks into the Ohio Valley. Read More >

Overview

May of 2019 rewrote the record books across western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. Continuing the cold and wet trend of early spring, May was characterized by repeated bouts with well below normal temperatures and heavy snow, including snow on some days in late May for the first time on record. Rapid snowmelt and heavy rain late in the month also contributed to widespread flooding issues, including record crests on portions of the Cheyenne and White rivers in western South Dakota.

Here, we provide statistics on the monthly average temperatures and precipitation totals for downtown Rapid City and several cooperative observer sites across the area, including where May 2019 ranks in the record books. On the other tabs, we provide lists of all daily temperature and precipitation records set at these sites throughout May and a list of the preliminary record river crests during the month.

Monthly Rankings
Daily Temperature Records
Daily Precipitation Records
Preliminary Record River Crests

May 2019 monthly rankings compared to records for numerous sites across western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming

Note: A prior version of this graphic had incorrect values for Hill City. We apologize for any inconvenience.