Near Shadehill in Perkins County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Great Plains Weather: Land of Extremes

Photographed by Connor Olson, June 4, 2021

1. Great Plains Weather: Land of Extremes Marker

Inscription.

Great Plains Weather: Land of Extremes. . Be prepared for change , Thunderstorms, blizzards, and inclement weather can strike quickly and with little warning on the Great Plains.

Thunderstorms and Wind , uring the summer, the sun heats the ground and causes powerful convection over the Great Plains. Air convection builds cumulus nimbus clouds, which may reach an altitude of 50,000 feet or more, can produce baseball-size hail, spawn tornados, and typically generate winds of 40 mph or greater.

Wind is the one great constant in Great Plains' weather. A windless day is a rarity; and winds of 20 mph or more are quite common.

Temperature: Averages and Extremes , T he climate of the northern Great Plains is controlled by its position in the interior of the North American continent. Because the area is far removed from any coastlines, it has a semiarid climate with highly variable temperatures. Weeks of sub-zero temperature can blanket the area in an icy grip when polar air masses descend to the Great Plains. The record low temperature is -47°F in Hettinger, ND on January 13, 1916. In the summer, the sun warms the dry air by 30° to 40°F in a single day. The record high temperature of 120°F was recorded on July 15, 2006 in Usta, SD.

Precipitation: Averages and Extremes , T he Grand River National Grassland averages 15-18 inches of precipitation each year. Most of the precipitation occurs in the spring and early summer. The wettest year on record was 1982, when 24 inches of precipitation fell in Lemmon, SD and 27 inches in Hettinger, ND. In contrast, only 4.17 inches fell in 1936 in Hettinger, the driest year on record locally. Much of the annual precipitation might occur in a single storm, or in a handful of powerful summer thunderstorms. The highest single-day rainfall event on record occurred on August 12, 1999, when 5.04 inches of rain fell in Lemmon.

Drought , Drough is a powerful force of nature and is a common occurrence on the Great Plains. Historic records indicate that severe, multi-year droughts occur on roughly a 20-year period. The most severe drought on record is the Dust Bowl in the mid-1930s. Drought conditions and high winds across the Great Plains produced dust storms in 1934 that are unmatched in the record of U.S. history.

Be prepared for change
Thunderstorms, blizzards, and inclement weather can strike quickly and with little warning on the Great Plains.

Thunderstorms & Wind
uring the summer, the sun heats the ground and causes powerful convection over the Great Plains. Air convection builds cumulus nimbus clouds, which may reach an altitude of 50,000 feet or more, can produce baseball-size hail, spawn tornados, and typically generate winds of 40 mph or greater.

Wind is the one great constant in Great Plains' weather. A windless day is a rarity; and winds of 20 mph or more are quite common.

Temperature: Averages & Extremes
T he climate of the northern Great Plains is controlled by its position in the interior of the North American continent. Because the area is far removed from any coastlines, it has a semiarid climate with highly variable temperatures. Weeks of sub-zero temperature can blanket the area in an icy grip when polar air masses descend to the Great Plains. The record low temperature is -47°F in Hettinger, ND on January 13, 1916. In the summer, the sun warms the dry air by 30° to 40°F in a single day. The record high temperature of 120°F was recorded on July 15, 2006 in Usta, SD.

Precipitation: Averages & Extremes
T he Grand River National Grassland

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averages 15-18 inches of precipitation each year. Most of the precipitation occurs in the spring and early summer. The wettest year on record was 1982, when 24 inches of precipitation fell in Lemmon, SD and 27 inches in Hettinger, ND. In contrast, only 4.17 inches fell in 1936 in Hettinger, the driest year on record locally. Much of the annual precipitation might occur in a single storm, or in a handful of powerful summer thunderstorms. The highest single-day rainfall event on record occurred on August 12, 1999, when 5.04 inches of rain fell in Lemmon.

Drought
Drough is a powerful force of nature and is a common occurrence on the Great Plains. Historic records indicate that severe, multi-year droughts occur on roughly a 20-year period. The most severe drought on record is the Dust Bowl in the mid-1930s. Drought conditions and high winds across the Great Plains produced dust storms in 1934 that are unmatched in the record of U.S. history.

Erected by US Forest Service, Department of Agriculture.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment. A significant historical date for this entry is January 13, 1916.

Location. 45° 43.247′ N, 102° 9.419′ W. Marker is near Shadehill, South Dakota, in Perkins County. It can be reached from Forest Road 5740 one mile

Photographed by Connor Olson, June 4, 2021

2. Great Plains Weather: Land of Extremes Marker

north of Forest Road 5626. Located on the Blacktail Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lemmon SD 57638, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West River.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Welcome to the Grand River National Grassland (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Public Land Surveying (approx. 0.2 miles away); From Bison to Cattle (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hugh Glass - Adventurer (approx. 3.9 miles away); Shadehill Dam & Reservoir (approx. 4.3 miles away); a different marker also named Hugh Glass (approx. 4.3 miles away); Seim, South Dakota (approx. 4.3 miles away); WWII Bomber Crashes near Meadow, SD (approx. 12½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Shadehill.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Hugh Glass (was approx. 4.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2021, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 277 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 4, 2021, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.