It’s Impossible To Forget The Year South Dakota Saw Its Single Largest Snowfall Ever

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The fall of the Berlin Wall. The moon landing. There are some historic events that are etched into our minds and never quite go away, which, for South Dakotans, includes one massive snowfall that was unlike anything our generation had ever experienced. South Dakota's largest snowfall went down in the books as something we'd be happy to never experience again.

Quite possibly one of the most bizarre and destructive Midwest storms ever took place in South Dakota and surrounding states in early October 2013.

Dubbed the "October 2013 North American storm complex," the massive storm was caused by a huge spike in moisture moving in from the Rockies while frigid temperatures moved in from Canada, causing a bizarre mix of rain, snow, and even tornadoes in some parts of the country.

While South Dakotans have experienced our fair share of storms (a la 1966, 1977, 1995, and so on), nothing could have prepared us for the estimated 55 inches of snow that was dumped in parts of the state in a mere 48 hours.

As expected, the snowstorm (and its recorded 50-70 mph winds) caused insurmountable damage that wiped out power lines, killed thousands of livestock animals, and damaged countless homes and businesses.

By the end of the storm, South Dakota is said to have received between 20 to 55 inches of snow, which in turn cost both the area economy and ranchers an estimated $1.7 billion in damages.

While huge snowstorms are nothing new to South Dakota, weirdly early and nearly unexpected ones such as the 2013 blizzard are both rare and devastating, making for a storm that no one can ever forget. To get an even better look at the post-storm cleanup, watch this video by YouTuber Fabiana Meredith:

If you remember the blizzard of 2013, you may also remember A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck South Dakota In 1972... And No One Saw It Coming.

What remarkable storms throughout history do you remember?