NWS: Record snowfall in Rapid City through February

Did you get the feeling that you were constantly shoveling snow this winter, more than last year? It’s true!

The National Weather Service states that snowfall in Rapid City through February is a new record … 60.7 inches. This is more than double the average of 27 inches of snow.

The record amount of snow for an entire winter season is 90.2 inches, set in 2008-2009.

That snowfall brings a lot of moisture with it. The March 1 Natural Resources Conservation Service report on the Black Hills snow-pack shows that the “snow water equivalent” at every one of the 10 locations is more than last year; and more than the 30-year average.

The area with the most snow water equivalent is Reuter Canyon, north of Sundance, Wyo. The SWE is 10.1 inches. Last year it was 7.8 inches. Upper Spearfish has 9.5 inches of SWE, nearly 2 inches more than 2019.