March 2, 1966: South Dakota’s Monster Blizzard

Nowadays the Weather Channel tends to name storms that may have a big impact. Not back in 1966.

That storm packed 70 mph winds, paralyzed all citizens in its path, and dumped several feet of snow on South Dakota. It earned its name: The Northern Plains Blizzard.

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The morning of March 2, 1966, started with a forecast of perhaps 4 inches of snow. But within a few hours, it was updated to include heavy snow and high winds. Freezing drizzle hit next icing everything up and visibility dropped to near zero.

This was not a short-lived storm. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, the storm didn't lift for three days.

Windows were not built to withstand those kinds of winds and pressure like the windows of today. As a result, several windows were blown in leaving snowdrifts in living rooms.

The March 2 - 4 calamity claimed 6 lives and over 100,000 cattle and sheep were killed. The economic impact was disastrous. It's was estimated that the value of the livestock lost topped $20 million. To put that into perspective, today, with inflation, would amount to a staggering $156 million.

MORE SOUTH DAKOTA: The Children's Blizzard of 1888 Details

Finally, late in the day on March 4, the storm finally subsided in South Dakota. But for North Dakota and Minnesota, the blizzard stayed in place continuing to wreak havoc.

You can see the timeline of the blizzard here on the National Weather Service archives. It's a fascinating read.

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