Hail Storms in Rapid City & Black Hills (Pierre, Huron: homes, buy)

[prairierose]

Does Rapid City have hail storms often? I know the central and eastern parts of the state have them, but wonder specifically about the Rapid City and Black Hills area?

[DannyBanany]

Hmm... I can remember having only a couple hailstorms this past year. One was so bad that many cars in the area had hail damage and repair shops were backed up for a couple months! I know this because I was the victim of a hit and run in August and my car wasn't fixed until November!

I don't think the Black Hills gets nearly as much hail as central and eastern SoDak, but we get a fair amount too. In the summer, thunderstorms happen often in the afternoons and with thunderstorms comes the occasional hailstorm.

[Chris19]

It varies by area. Some years, it seems like areas such as Pierre and Huron get hit harder than the I-29 corridor, others may be the Black Hills, and others it is eastern SD. I agree that eastern SD may get more hail due to the storms having more juice in central and eastern parts of SD due to having more humidity to work with when air masses clash.

[cburkart]

I live in RC and have lived in the Black Hills area my entire 31 years of existance. Freak hail storms happen, but aren't frequent. Northern Hills area (Spearfish) usually has more extreme weather.
But for the most part we don't get much hail. 1 or 2 storms a year if that.

[DannyBanany]

Originally Posted by cburkart

I live in RC and have lived in the Black Hills area my entire 31 years of existance. Freak hail storms happen, but aren't frequent. Northern Hills area (Spearfish) usually has more extreme weather.
But for the most part we don't get much hail. 1 or 2 storms a year if that.

Hey! Another Rapid Citian! Welcome to the forum!

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by DannyBanany

Hey! Another Rapid Citian! Welcome to the forum!

I second that. Welcome to the forum.

[prairierose]

Thank you all very much for the information. I have experienced one incredible thunderstorm while driving near Mobridge several years ago, but have not been in a severe hailstorm. Have only seen the aftermath. The roofers must love them!

[DannyBanany]

Originally Posted by prairierose

Thank you all very much for the information. I have experienced one incredible thunderstorm while driving near Mobridge several years ago, but have not been in a severe hailstorm. Have only seen the aftermath. The roofers must love them!

You betcha! Tons of homes in Rapid City needed roof repair after that storm. There were also several paintless dent repair tents set up in parking lots of Safeway, WalMart, and other businesses in town! Thank God I was out of town for that hailstorm my neighbors cars' were all dinged up pretty bad! I lucked out! Pheew!

[ElkHunter]

The 18 years I spent growing up there I remember twice that it damaged my dad's pickup truck enough to have to get fixed. It was a 65 chevy that was brand new. The next time it was a 72 pickup and he'd only had it a couple months. The one in 65 also damaged the shingles on our house. The one in 72 didn't.

But we'd have hail storms a couple times each year. Usually marble size or smaller.

by the way. Do you know how to get hail dents out? Buy some dry ice on a hot day. Bust it up and put a marble sized chunk in the dent. It would pop and shoot that ice up 30 ft in the air. Didn't work on chrome or window edge trimming but certainly worked on the hood, roof and trunk.