Buffalo County Storm Activity
Wind, hail, and tornado activity from official NOAA sources (NWS & SPC) · Last 180 days · Updated Sep 11, 2026
Buffalo County, South Dakota has recorded tornado activity: official National Weather Service (NWS) and Storm Prediction Center (SPC) records list 2 tornado reports among 29 severe weather events here in the last 180 days, alongside 11 hail reports with hail up to 3" and 16 high-wind reports with gusts up to 81 mph. The most recent recorded storm activity was in September 2026. This page updates daily: every event comes straight from official NOAA data — no estimates, no modeling, just the record.
What the radar showed
Last 30 days in Buffalo County
Recent storms — full detail available in the app
Storm activity from the last 30 days is summarized at the county level on this page. Exact locations, radar snapshots, and official warning boundaries for recent events are available with a free account.
See the specifics — free →Storm log — the official record, day by day
Events older than 30 days, as recorded by the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center. Excerpts are quoted directly from official warnings and verified reports.
Monday, July 6, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.88"
“At 300 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Counselor Creek Boat Access Area, or near Fort Thompson, moving east at 20 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.88" Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Friday, July 3, 2026
2 NWS warnings — hail up to 0.75"
“At 327 AM CDT, trained weather spotters reported a cluster of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 6 miles southwest of Highmore to near Etbauer Hill to near Chamberlain. Movement was east at 35 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and penny size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.”
“At 255 AM CDT, trained weather spotters reported a cluster of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Lake Sharpe to 7 miles north of Colome. Movement was northeast at 25 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and penny size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.”
- Hail 0.75" Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
- Hail 0.75" Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Thursday, July 2, 2026
7 SPC verified storm reports — hail up to 3", wind gusts up to 81 mph, 2 tornado reports
“Several photos on X of a tornado on the ground near Gann Valley. Location estimated via radar. (ABR)”
“Photo relayed via text... included spotter ruler card. (ABR)”
- Tornado Tornado 2 E Gann Valley SPC verified report
- Tornado Tornado 6 S Gann Valley SPC verified report
- Hail 3" 7 SSW Gann Valley SPC verified report
- Hail 2.75" 7 WNW Gann Valley SPC verified report
- Hail 1.75" 7 SSW Gann Valley SPC verified report
- Wind 81 mph 3 N Gann Valley SPC verified report
- Wind 62 mph 1 NNW Lees Corner SPC verified report
Saturday, June 27, 2026
4 NWS warnings — wind gusts up to 50 mph
“At 1129 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 10 miles west of Polo to near Highmore to Stephan to near Lower Brule. Movement was northeast at 45 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Miller, Highmore, Lower Brule, St.”
“WHAT...Southeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. WHERE...Portions of central and north central South Dakota. WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ this evening. IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may result.”
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
1 NWS warning — wind gusts up to 50 mph
“WHAT...Northwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. WHERE...Buffalo, Hand, Hughes, Hyde, Sully, Faulk, Potter, Walworth, and Spink Counties. WHEN...Until 9 PM CDT this evening. IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may result.”
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
1 NWS warning — wind gusts up to 50 mph
“WHAT...Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. WHERE...Buffalo, Hand, Hughes, Hyde, Sully, Faulk, Potter, Walworth, and Spink Counties. WHEN...From 10 AM to 9 PM CDT Wednesday. IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may result.”
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
1 NWS warning — wind gusts up to 50 mph
“At 819 PM CDT, trained weather spotters reported a cluster of strong thunderstorms near Degrey Rec Area, or 13 miles south of Blunt, moving northeast at 20 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include...”
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Sunday, May 31, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.25"
“At 1248 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 7 miles northeast of Degrey Rec Area to 9 miles east of Stephan to near Gann Valley. Movement was north at 40 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.”
- Hail 0.25" Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Thursday, May 14, 2026
3 NWS warnings — wind gusts up to 50 mph
“Strong wind gusts up to 50 mph are expected to persist through the afternoon hours today. Localized stronger wind gusts of more than 50 mph will be possible as the result of sprinkles or brief showers moving through this morning into the afternoon. This will lead to patchy to areas of blowing dust and reduced visibilities between 1 to 3 miles.”
“AFFECTED AREA...In South Dakota, Spink, Clark, Codington, Hamlin, Deuel, Stanley, Sully, Hughes, Hyde, Hand, Jones, Lyman and Buffalo. WINDS...West 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 14 percent. IMPACTS...Any fires that ignite will spread rapidly and become difficult to control or suppress.”
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Saturday, March 28, 2026
3 NWS warnings — wind gusts up to 55 mph
“AFFECTED AREA...In South Dakota, Faulk, Spink, Hyde, Hand, Lyman and Buffalo. WINDS...Southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 18 percent. IMPACTS...Any fires that ignite will spread rapidly and become difficult to control or suppress.”
“WHAT...Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. WHERE...Buffalo, Hand, Hyde, Lyman, and Spink Counties. WHEN...Until 4 PM CDT this afternoon. IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may result. Gusty winds may also cause blowing dust to occasionally reduce visibility, especially near open fields.”
- Wind 55 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 50 mph Buffalo County NWS severe weather mention
Today's severe weather outlook
Common questions
When was the last severe storm in Buffalo County, SD?
The most recent recorded event was in September 2026. Official NWS and SPC records show 29 severe weather events in Buffalo County over the last 180 days. Exact dates and locations for recent storms are available in the app with a free account.
Has there been hail in Buffalo County recently?
Yes — 11 hail reports in the last 180 days, with hail up to 3" recorded.
How do I check whether a specific address was affected?
Create a free IDOLCheck account and run an address check. It shows verified storm reports and official NWS warning boundaries around any specific property — county-level pages like this one only tell part of the story.