Recent rains help but other areas of SD remain dry

Recent rainfall across southwestern and west-central SD has dramatically lessened the wildfire potential, at least in the short term. Areas of most concern were Haakon County, Stanley County, eastern Pennington County, Jones County, and northern Jackson County. All of these areas have received at least 0.25 inch of rain, if not substantially more. Fall River County (where the Vineyard Fire occurred) has seen widespread areas of 0.75+ inch of rain. Image below (1-day precipitation totals) does not include rainfall totals from the ongoing precipitation event over central and south-southcentral SD.

Northwestern and northcentral SD, however, do remain dry. Buffalo in Harding County hasn’t seen a wetting rain in over two weeks with a 30-day accumulated rainfall of only 0.86 inches. The Bear Creek RAWS in Dewey County hasn’t had a wetting rain in 28 days with 30-day precipitation totals at a scant 0.45 inch. The Shadehill RAWS in Perkins County also hasn’t had a wetting rain in 28 days. The Grand River RAWS in Corson County hasn’t had a wetting rain in 17 days. Mobridge in Walworth County hasn’t had a wetting rain in 24 days. Thus my focus for enhanced fire potential shifts to these areas.

No critical conditions are seen in the forecast for the next 7 days but scattered thunderstorms across the state this week could bring new ignitions. The 5-day accumulated precipitation forecast is below.