South Dakota

South Dakota snow now devastating the southern Midwest

Published

1 year ago

January 6, 2025

South Dakota snow now devastating the southern Midwest

RAPID CITY, S.D. – All eyes are on the southern Midwest, as the system that brought several inches of snow to the Black Hills area continues to move southward, strengthening along the way. A mix of heavy snow, ice, and blizzard conditions has caused widespread disruptions to utilities and infrastructure, leaving nearly 100,000 people without power.

Blizzard warnings were issued for eastern Kansas and are still in effect for northwest Missouri. Winter storm warnings still extended from Missouri all the way to Washington D.C. and areas of southeast Missouri through western Kentucky are currently in an ice storm warning until Monday morning. Ice accumulations are expected to range between ¼” and ¾”. Official reports of snowfall in the region are as high as 13 inches with more expected.

1/2: Weather warnings for the southern Midwest as of 9pm Sunday

2/2: Weather warnings for the southern Midwest as of 9pm Sunday

NewsCenter1 spoke with Jared Maples, a forecaster from the National Weather Service office in St. Louis, MO, to get a first-hand look into the conditions there.

“What we are dealing with is a system that tracked generally west to east from the Central Plains as it crossed the Rockies,” said Maples, “Sleet has been compacted to the roadway. Just that really chunky, crusty stuff that is freezing there. When you get above 2 inches of sleet, it almost becomes undrivable at that point.”

Jared Maples, forecaster for the National Weather Service office in St. Louis, MO

The heavy snow and ice caused treacherous driving conditions, leading to numerous accidents and road closures. Interstate 435 in Kansas City was particularly affected,

with a tractor-trailer captured on video sliding off the icy roadway

. Missouri Department of Transportation snowplows were also impacted, with at least one overturned due to the slick conditions. Kansas City International Airport temporarily shut down airfield operations Saturday afternoon due to rapid ice accumulation.

Ice has been accumulating to trees with official reports showing fallen limbs 8 inches in diameter, giving South Dakotans a stark reminder of the ice storm that hit Sioux Falls in 2013. Nicknamed “Icepololypse,” that storm resulted in an estimated 900 fallen trees and 25,000 fallen branches.

“When they’re in those wooded areas, you do start to hear that cracking sound,” Maples continued, “That is the sound of tree limbs coming down. If your house is near a tree that is susceptible to that, be wary that that could be one of those risks that are posed with this ice or amount of weight that is on trees.”

This storm will continue to move east, bringing snow to areas of Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, mixed precipitation and freezing rain to Kentucky, Virginia, and Washington D.C., and severe thunderstorms with tornado potential from Mississippi to Georgia.

For updates on local weather, be sure to download the

NC1 weather app

Per grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from South Dakota Mines. He found his passion for weather reporting by the impact it has on the community, both in how people work and how it brings people together through severe weather preparation. He also has a passion for preventing health issues with Air Quality Index awareness. Per can be found enjoying outdoor activities in the Black Hills when the weather allows.

Source link

Click to comment

South Dakota

Feeding South Dakota

Published

4 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

State

Zip Code

Country

Source link

South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for Feb. 26, 2026

Published

16 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 26, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

03-14-22-50-57, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

South Dakota

SNAP soda ban headed to desk of South Dakota governor, who’s concerned about costs

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

SNAP soda ban headed to desk of South Dakota governor, who’s concerned about costs

State Sen. Sydney Davis, R-Burbank, speaks in the South Dakota Senate at the Capitol in Pierre on Feb. 10, 2026. Davis is sponsoring a bill that would ban the use of SNAP benefits for soda purchases. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

By: John Hult

PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) – The question of whether South Dakota moves to ban the use of government food assistance for sugary drinks is in the hands of Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden, who has signaled his opposition to the bill all through the 2026 legislative session.

The state Senate voted 27-6 on Wednesday to endorse House Bill 1056, after the House passed it earlier 58-11. Assuming the same levels of support, both margins are wide enough to overcome a Rhoden veto, should he choose to issue one.

The bill directs the Department of Social Services to ask for a federal waiver to allow the state to bar the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for the purchase of soft drinks.

SNAP is a federal program, managed by the state, through which people with low incomes get a monthly allowance for food through a debit-like card that can be used at most stores to buy nearly any consumable grocery item save alcohol and prepared foods.

Representatives from Rhoden’s office testified against the bill in House and Senate committees, arguing that the administrative costs would be too high. A fiscal note attached to the bill between its passage in the House and its appearance on the Senate’s Wednesday calendar estimated that implementation would cost $310,000 through the first two years. Those costs would come from hiring an extra employee and contracting for software to track sales, file reports and help retailers determine which drinks are banned.

Backers see long-term savings to the state, though. A high percentage of SNAP recipients are also on Medicaid, a taxpayer-funded health insurance program open to disabled and income-eligible people.

On Wednesday, Burbank Republican Sen. Sydney Davis noted the connection between excess soda consumption and health problems like obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. Medicaid dental costs alone add up $51 million a year, she said.

Mitchell Republican Sen. Paul Miskimins, a retired dentist, told the body he once counted 32 cavities and seven abscesses in the mouths of 2-year-old twin boys who were covered by Medicaid.

He attributed the tooth decay to sugary beverages.

“I don’t know if that first visit was more traumatic on the boys or on my dental staff and myself,” said Miskimins.

Tamara Grove, R-Lower Brule, was the lone senator to speak in opposition on the Senate floor. She argued that some stores might stop accepting SNAP payments due to the administrative burden of sorting barred products from the rest of their inventories, and pointed out that the bill wouldn’t do a thing to prevent SNAP recipients from loading up on sugary foods like ice cream or snack cakes.

“It gives this look as if there’s going to be this big, huge change in the way that people buy products, but it’s really not going to be,” Grove said.

Some surrounding states, including Nebraska, have moved to ask for a waiver to ban soda sales through SNAP. Such waivers are now an option, as President Donald Trump’s administration is willing to consider granting them. Former President Joe Biden’s administration was not.

Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, the South Dakota bill’s prime sponsor, got a letter last week from Trump administration officials expressing support for her proposal.

In response, Rhoden spokeswoman Josie Harms told South Dakota Searchlight that the governor “has always been supportive of the Trump Administration’s efforts to Make America Healthy Again,” using a reference to the policy agenda branding used by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“We have met directly with his Administration on this issue, and at no point has our opposition been directed at President Trump or his efforts to reform SNAP,” Harms said. “Our focus has always been on ensuring the implementation of SNAP reform works effectively for our state.”

Harms said Wednesday that Rhoden would answer questions about the bill at a Thursday press conference.

Source link