With the formal start of summer less than a week away, a spring filled with wild weather refuses to subside.
Storms with high winds caused damage and power outages across the region both Monday and Tuesday mornings.
Next up, brace for excessive heat.
A bar in Conde took one of the worst hits this week.
A storm system that produced what is called “wake low winds” blew the roof off of Sandy’s Bar & Grill in Conde early Monday morning.
More:National Weather Service has confirmed 16 tornadoes in May 12 derecho; total could still grow
Gusts reached 75 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Wake low winds are severe, short-lived phenomena and are almost impossible for forecasters to predict, according to the NWS.
The winds peaked around 4 am Monday after a thunderstorm rolled through the area, per weather information. That’s how Sandy Hoops, owner of Sandy’s Bar & Grill, said Sandy Hoops.
Residents also reported trees and powerlines down in the area. That led to temporary power outages.
By Monday night, the bar had reopened and served customers. Hoops said that the bar is operable without the roof, which was put on top of another roof to prevent leaks.
In Aberdeen, gusts reached 63 mph at 3:18 am Monday, said meteorologist Ryan Lueck, who works at the Aberdeen NWS office. There were reports of tree damage and branches down in and around town.
More:4 tornadoes confirmed in Memorial Day storm system as spring rain totals mount
Most of the storm’s damage was along the Interstate 90 corridor to the south in Jones and Lyman counties. There were reports of blown over semi trailers on the interstate, he said, and flooding in both Jones and Stanley counties. Staff from the NWS office in Aberdeen and Jones County Emergency Management assessed the damage Tuesday.
Tuesday morning storm knocks out power, damages grain bin
The Frederick, Roscoe, Leola and Ellendale, ND, areas.
In Frederick, there were reports of building damage, including a grain bin that was pushed off of its base, according to the NWS.
In Roscoe, there were reports of “many tops stripped and several whole trees uprooted and down” to go along with a power outage across town. A personal weather station recorded gusts of up to 120 mph.
More:Early 2022 appears to be one of the windiest in recent history for northeastern South Dakota
In Leola, his radio antenna pole snapped in half, according to the NWS. Peak winds of 79 mph were recorded.
Monday morning, 0.14 inch of rain fall in Watertown, followed by 0.04 inch Tuesday morning. In Aberdeen there was 0.09 inch of rain Monday morning and 0.01 inch Tuesday morning, according to the weather service.
Next up, brace for 100-degree temperatures in Aberdeen
While the weather has been mild for much of spring, at least until the past week or so, that’s changing.
The NWS forecast calls for a high of 98 in Aberdeen on Saturday and 103 on Sunday. And Watertown is going to be The highs for the early part of next week will be only slightly cooler, if the forecast holds.
More:South Dakota’s wild spring weather continues with hail, tornado, high winds, blizzard
The normal high temperature for this time of year in Watertown is about 77. In Aberdeen, it’s about 80, according to NWS historical data.
Could there be rolling blackouts in South Dakota?
South Dakota could see rolling blackouts this summer as warmer-than-normal temperatures across the Midwest increase the demand for electricity. But local power companies say they hope it doesn’t come to that.
Much of South Dakota’s power grid falls under the purview of two regional transmission organizations: the Midcontinent Independent System Operator and the Southwest Power Pool.
The organizations are in charge of balancing the power generation and transmission across their service area, which is not just within the state. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator stretches as far as Wisconsin and all the way down to Louisiana, while the Southwest Power Pool reaches into parts of Texas.
More:Temperatures in the 100s expected for southeastern South Dakota this weekend
That has benefits, said Chris Studer, the public relations officer for the East River Electric, which mainly operates under the Southwest Power Pool. Extra power can be sold into the larger market, and power can be bought if not quite generated, he said.
But, Studer said, being part of a larger system works both ways. If demand begins to outpace supply, “we all sort of share in the pain.”
While cutting off power to customers is a last resort, the company says that it has “devastating impacts” on electrical infrastructure.
In terms of eastern South Dakota, where Tim Hansen, the associate professor at the South Dakota State University’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said he would not “sound the alarm” about rolling blackouts.
South Dakota is better prepared to deal with a situation like this than some other states, he said.
More:Castlewood School badly damaged by tornado; Noem declares state of emergency
Still, there could be concerns.
While the Southwest Power Pool is forecasting that generation will exceed demand this summer, it’s a different story for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator.
The July demand peak is likely to exceed capacity.
It is not possible to deal with next summer, as repairs on a major transmission line for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator are nearing completion.
“They have a chance now to try and make it up,” he said. “There is time to prepare.”
Spring weather has included wind, hail, excess moisture and tornadoes
The weather is likely to be very severe and has a very strong spring.
Castlewood was hardest hit on the night of May 12 with dozens of damaged buildings, including the school. But there was other damage across the region, especially on farmsteads.
Through Tuesday morning, Aberdeen received 12.71 inches of moisture this year compared to an average of 8.9 inches. In Watertown, there has been 10.13 inches of moisture compared to a normal of 8.93 inches.
If there is any upside to the short-term forecast, it is expected that the Watertown and Aberdeen areas will be in the day to come, though extreme heat can sometimes spark thunderstorms.