South Dakota is the new Wyoming

Is it windy enough out there for you?
What in the name of flying trash cans, falling trees and the worst bad hair days you’ve ever seen is going on in South Dakota? We have been experiencing winds the likes of which we have not seen in this area for as long as many of us can remember. It’s constant, it’s relentless, and it’s getting really, really old.
It had not even been a full month since the Dec. 18 windstorm that wreaked havoc all around Custer County before another windstorm (albeit not as strong, thankfully) came rolling through the area and caused more power outages and more damage. We have had more power outages around here in the last two months than we had the last few years combined, it seems. This is the kind of wind you are used to if you’re from Wyoming or have spent any time in Wyoming—particulary in the I-25 corridor—but it seems highly unusual for this area.
So what is causing these violent winds here in the beginning of winter? Well, if you read our story about the Dec. 18 storm, a National Weather Service meteorologist told us arctic fronts that cause these winds are pretty common in December, January and February. They come quickly, and the strong winds are caused by the pressure rising behind the front.
Pressure from a low pressure system is going down as it’s approaching us, and then as soon as the front goes through, we get pressure rises behind the front. Rather than the common five to seven millibar pressure rise, the Dec. 18 storm saw six to eight millibar pressure rises. The stronger the pressure, the higher the wind. So it seems we have been having way too much pressure lately. I’m sure everyone reading this can relate to that in some form or fashion.
We have also had a concerning lack of precipitation this winter. I know many of us like to joke the snow “is a four letter word” but the fact is we need some of it in the winter. We have had a disturbing lack of snow. Why is that? Are we in a drought cycle? Is it climate change? Nobody on our staff is a meteorologist, so we won’t speculate. What we know is we need some precipitation, or this summer could be horrible as far as fire danger is concerned. Unless, of course, we get a bunch of rain in the spring. That remains to be seen.
The wind and lack of weather is already ruining things—or at least, postponing—as we saw with last weekend’s Beetle Burn. For the first time in the history of the event, the burn was postponed due to a lack of precipitation and the strong winds. It was disappointing to everyone, of course, but we would be more disappointed if the show went on and a fire broke out. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
So, here is to hoping we get some snow, and the wind goes away. Let’s hope the rest of the winter is a normal one—some snow falls, the wind stays below hurricane-force and it gets a little cold. But not too cold. Let’s not get carried away.