Locally Heavy Rainfall for the Carolinas; Thunderstorms and Fire Weather Concerns for Intermountain West

Heavy rainfall from scattered thunderstorms is expected across the Southwest, Intermountain West, and Plains. Isolated dry thunderstorms may initiate additional fires across the west. The coastal Carolinas may experience flash floods in the coming days due to repeated thunderstorms. Additionally, a wave of intense summer heat will hit the Southern Plains and central Gulf Coast States this week. Read More >

Overview

A record cold air mass moved into the northern United States during late October 2020. This cold air set multiple records, including coldest high temperatures and record low temperatures. A persistent and long duration snow also moved through the region after the cold arrived, with snow falling for over 24 hours in some locations.

This widespread snow moved across the region, beginning the evening of Saturday October 24th and ending during the evening hours of Sunday October 25th. Snowfall totals ranged on average from 2 to 6 inches in most locations. The highest snowfall total was located in Gregory county of South Dakota with 8 inches of snow. A few snowfall totals included 4.3" in Sioux Falls, 4.2" in Sioux City, 4.5" in Mitchell, and 3.5" in Huron.

Radar Animation of The Snow

Record Cold and Snow
Storm Reports

Record Cold and Snow

An historically cold air mass settled into the Central United States, breaking multiple temperature and snowfall records for the region. Here is a look at the snowfall records for the four primary climate locations in the Sioux Falls Forecast area, along with the top 10 snowiest months of October on record. This snowstorm placed October 2020 in the top 10 snowiest Octobers on record. Meanwhile, single day snowfall totals also ranked in the top 10 in many areas.


Sioux Falls Snow Records	Sioux City Snow Records	Mitchell Snow Records	Huron Snow Records

Top 10 Snowiest Octobers on Record

Storm Reports

Snowfall totals across much of the region ranged from 2 inches to 6 inches. Isolated heavier pockets of snow were observed, with as much as 8 inches of snow reported in portions of Gregory county in South Dakota.