South Dakota, Tornado and On Record

South Dakota's First February Tornado On Record Was One Week After Arctic Cold Outbreak
It's one of the weirdest things we've seen in 2025's weather, so far. A winter tornado in one of America's coldest states. Here's what happened and why.
Forecasters stunned after South Dakota records first-ever tornado in February
The National Weather Service shared news of the twister, which arrived far earlier in the year than most tornadoes in the Mount Rushmore State.
First ever documented February tornado in South Dakota classified as ‘EF U’
WATERTOWN, S.D. (KFGO KWAT) – South Dakota’s first-ever documented tornado in February will go down as an “EF-U” on the Fujita scale, which gives twisters a ranking from EF-0 to EF-5, based on their strength and wind speed.
John Wheeler: South Dakota reported its first February tornado earlier this week
A tornado touched down during the late afternoon of Monday, Feb. 24, in open country southeast of Watertown, S.D. This is the first tornado on record in South Dakota during the three winter months. As dramatic as this sounds,
The rare conditions that led to a surprise tornado in South Dakota
The forecast on Monday hardly featured a chance of thunderstorms in South Dakota. So when a tornado touched down in Watertown in the eastern part of the state, it surprised even a seasoned storm chaser.
Earliest tornado in South Dakota history
Typically when a person thinks of February in either of the Dakotas, they don’t think of tornadoes. But that happened Monday outside of Watertown, South Dakota
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Winter storm and a tornado in the same week in SD? A UND expert explains how
A South Dakota tornado during February was the first on record, following subzero temperatures. A UND expert explains why it's rare but possible.
A Recent Plains Tornado Was Rated EFU. You Read That Right – Here's What It Means
A prime example happened Feb. 24 in South Dakota, when a brief tornado documented by a storm chaser spun up over an open ...
A severe weather outbreak could unleash tornadoes across the South early next week
In an unusually early step, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 3 out of 5 Enhanced risk ...
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What’s spinning in northeast KELOLAND?
You’ve heard me say it many times. February is a month of extremes in KELOLAND, not only in temperatures, but we can also add ...
Yankton Press & Dakotan4d
Centerville Leads Final ‘B’ Girls Poll Of Season
The Centerville Tornadoes claimed the top spot in the Class B girls’ ranking of the final South Dakota Media basketball poll, ...
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Storm Center Update: Tornado report near Watertown
Sometimes we say KELOLAND is the land of “infinite” variety when it comes to weather. It’s safe to say the last week has ...