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. Marker can be reached from Forest Road 5740,
Photographed By Connor Olson, June 4, 2021
2. Great Plains Weather: Land of Extremes Marker
one mile 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.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 118 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 4, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.