Hill City, SD Hail Storm – June 2025

What Happened

A severe hail storm moved through Hill City, South Dakota, on June 29, 2025, producing hail up to 1.75 inches and multiple radar- and spotter-verified alerts through the afternoon and evening. Field reports noted hail covering the ground and hail flowing down roads near 2:50 PM CDT and 3:52 PM CDT.

The first warning hit at 2:56 PM CDT with 1.25-inch hail. Another 1.25-inch alert followed at 3:37 PM CDT. By 4:18 PM CDT and 4:24 PM CDT, the warning area was still producing 1-inch hail. A later round at 5:09 PM CDT again called for 1-inch hail, then the storm tightened up at 5:12 PM CDT with a 1.75-inch alert. Additional 1.75-inch hail was detected at 6:00 PM CDT, followed by 1.5-inch hail at 6:13 PM CDT and another 1-inch alert at 7:01 PM CDT.

The ground reports lined up with that sequence. A spotter described hail covered on the ground at 3:52 PM CDT, and another report at the same time gave the same observation with a 1-inch estimate. Earlier, at 2:50 PM CDT, a spotter reported rivers of hail flowing down the road with half-inch stones. The storm remained active across several hours, with the strongest radar signatures arriving later in the event.

Damage Assessment

The surface impact in and around Hill City was enough to leave hail on the ground and wash it into roads during the early phase of the storm. That is consistent with the spotter reports from 2:50 PM CDT and 3:52 PM CDT, which point to fast-moving accumulation and runoff rather than brief, isolated stones.

The event also carried repeated hail signals through a long warning period. Nine alerts were issued across the afternoon and evening, with radar and spotter confidence attached to each one. The report set shows a storm that did not peak once and move on. It cycled through multiple hail cores, including several rounds of 1-inch and 1.25-inch hail before the stronger 1.75-inch phase.

For property checks, that pattern puts roofs, gutters, and exposed vehicle surfaces in the path of a storm that delivered more than one impact window. In Hill City, crews should expect uneven damage coverage. Some blocks may show only minor cosmetic marking, while others along the hail path may have heavier accumulation and repeated strikes.

The road report matters here. Hail flowing down a roadway usually points to enough volume for drainage channels and low spots to collect material. On a hillside town or along slope breaks, that can concentrate hail in culverts, drive approaches, and paved runoff paths.

What Contractors Should Know

Start with the early afternoon path and work forward. The first hail report came in before 3 PM CDT, then the storm returned with stronger hail later in the day. Crews should not assume the first pass captured the full extent of the event. In this case, the later 1.75-inch alerts are the ones most likely to match the heaviest roof and soft-metal findings.

Hill City, SD Hail Storm – June 2025

NWS WARNING AREAS · 49

What Happened

Damage Assessment

What Contractors Should Know

Storm Details

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