County Hazards

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Winter in Corson County, South Dakota

90 winter storms and snow events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Winter Storm, Winter Weather, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Ice Storm, Lake-Effect Snow, Sleet.

90 events · 2 deaths recorded · peak month December · county share of state 0.9%

Winter event locations in and around Corson County. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.

Corson County, South Dakota, has 90 winter events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 27 different years.

December is the busiest month, with 20 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 62 events against 28 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 0.9% of the 10,128 winter events recorded in South Dakota; its 3.6 per 100 square miles compares with 13.4 statewide.

NCEI attributes 2 deaths in the county to winter storms and snow.

Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.

Compared with South Dakota

MeasureCorson CountySouth DakotaUS
Winter events since 19509010,128287,339
Per 100 square miles3.613.48.1
Per 10,000 residents232.4113.18.7
Deaths recorded2732,509
Busiest monthDecemberDecemberJanuary

By year

195019882026
Winter events recorded in Corson County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
9
Feb
12
Mar
18
Apr
14
May
1
Jun
0
Jul
0
Aug
0
Sep
0
Oct
6
Nov
10
Dec
20
Winter events in Corson County by month of occurrence, all years.

Recorded events

All 90 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
3 Apr 2026Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
26 Dec 2023Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
26 Oct 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Apr 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Mar 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
5 Mar 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Mar 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Dec 2022Blizzard—————Forecast zone
15 Dec 2022Blizzard—————Forecast zone
13 Dec 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
9 Nov 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
12 Apr 2022Blizzard—————Forecast zone
20 Feb 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Oct 2020Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Oct 2020Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Mar 2020Winter Weather———1—Forecast zone
28 Dec 2019Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Dec 2019Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
29 Nov 2019Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
10 Oct 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
11 Apr 2019Blizzard—————Forecast zone
13 Mar 2019Blizzard—————Forecast zone
9 Mar 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Feb 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
8 Apr 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
5 Mar 2018Blizzard—————Forecast zone
4 Dec 2017Blizzard—————Forecast zone
12 Mar 2017Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
25 Dec 2016Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
25 Dec 2016Blizzard—————Forecast zone
5 Dec 2016Blizzard—————Forecast zone
15 Dec 2015Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
9 May 2015Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
9 Feb 2015Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
9 Nov 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
31 Mar 2014Blizzard—————Forecast zone
4 Oct 2013Blizzard—————Forecast zone
13 Apr 2013Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
28 Feb 2012Blizzard—————Forecast zone
22 Feb 2012Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Apr 2011Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
14 Apr 2011Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
20 Feb 2011Blizzard—————Forecast zone
1 Jan 2011Blizzard—————Forecast zone
31 Dec 2010Blizzard—————Forecast zone
30 Dec 2010Blizzard—————Forecast zone
2 Apr 2010Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
25 Jan 2010Blizzard—————Forecast zone
22 Jan 2010Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
6 Jan 2010Blizzard—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 2009Blizzard—————Forecast zone
3 Apr 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
30 Mar 2009Blizzard—————Forecast zone
23 Mar 2009Blizzard—————Forecast zone
9 Mar 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
25 Feb 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
10 Feb 2009Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
11 Jan 2009Blizzard—————Forecast zone
13 Dec 2008Blizzard—————Forecast zone
5 Nov 2008Blizzard—————Forecast zone
6 Apr 2008Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
2 Mar 2007Blizzard—————Forecast zone
29 Dec 2006Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
20 Mar 2006Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
29 Dec 2005Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Mar 2004Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
29 Feb 2004Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Nov 2003Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Apr 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
7 Feb 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
15 Dec 2000Blizzard—————Forecast zone
30 Nov 2000Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
7 Nov 2000Blizzard—————Forecast zone
8 Mar 2000Blizzard—————Forecast zone
1 Apr 1999Blizzard—————Forecast zone
9 Nov 1998Blizzard—————Forecast zone
26 Feb 1998Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
4 Apr 1997Blizzard—————Forecast zone
12 Mar 1997Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
3 Feb 1997Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
15 Jan 1997Blizzard—————Forecast zone
9 Jan 1997Blizzard———1—Forecast zone
3 Jan 1997Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
16 Dec 1996Blizzard—————Forecast zone
14 Dec 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Nov 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Nov 1996Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
26 Oct 1996Winter Storm—$120K———Forecast zone
24 Mar 1996Blizzard—————Forecast zone
17 Jan 1996Blizzard—————Forecast zone

Questions and answers

How many winter events has Corson County had?

90 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of winter storms and snow became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.

When was the last recorded winter event in Corson County?

3 Apr 2026 (Heavy Snow). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging winter event recorded in Corson County?

The winter storm of 26 Oct 1996, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $120K.

How does Corson County compare with South Dakota for winter?

3.6 events per 100 square miles against 13.4 statewide; the county holds 90 of the state's 10,128 recorded events.

Provenance

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Winter hub and the county page.