A National Weather Service graphic outlining wind, snow and fog hazards present Wednesday.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — This is not a warning you typically hear in our part of the country during December.
The National Weather Service says much of the KELO Radio listening area Wednesday afternoon through early Thursday morning could see 65 mph wind gusts.
When do the strong winds arrive? Late afternoon into the evening will be the most common timeframe. Again, it's worth stressing, these winds in many locations are likely to be more than "just your normal windy day"… pic.twitter.com/myhfQM8udm
— NWS Sioux Falls (@NWSSiouxFalls) December 15, 2021
“Obviously in our part of the country, it’s not at all unusual to have strong winds, but these are going to be one step higher, one echelon higher than maybe what we’re used to,” NWS forecaster Andrew Kalin said in a Facebook briefing at 8 p.m. Tuesday night.
The service warns that damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines, and widespread power outages are expected.
“Damaging straight-line winds are the primary threat with these storms, however an isolated tornado or two cannot be ruled out given the dynamic nature of this storm system,” Kalin said.
Kalin said people in the storm’s path should monitor weather conditions closely and be aware of any severe weather warnings that may come up.
The NWS has also issued a Dense Fog Advisory for the Sioux Falls area Wednesday morning.
As if there wasn't enough to talk about for Wednesday, some locations may be starting the day off with dense fog. pic.twitter.com/Ux1YcmA9B3
— NWS Sioux Falls (@NWSSiouxFalls) December 15, 2021
Some snowfall is expected west of Sioux Falls on the back end of the storm in the late afternoon and evening on Wednesday.
Tuesday afternoon, the NWS expanded its High Wind Warning to include most of the KELO Radio listening area. The full text of the warning is below, updated at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday.
* WHAT…For the High Wind Warning, west winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. For the Dense Fog Advisory, visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.
* WHERE…Portions of east central and southeast South Dakota and southwest Minnesota. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Nation.
* WHEN…For the High Wind Warning, from 4 PM this afternoon to 3 AM CST Thursday. For the Dense Fog Advisory, until 9 AM CST this morning.
* IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility.
Stay tuned to KELO Radio for the latest on this unusual winter storm.
(Carter Woodiel, KELO.com News, contributed to this report.)
