January 10, 1975: One of Worst Blizzards in S.D. History Hits State

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On this date, January 10-11, 1975, occurred what some meteorologists consider as one of the worst blizzards in the state's history.

From NOAA:  http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fsd/archive/centuryfsd.htm

The blizzard of January 10-11, 1975 was widely considered to be the worst blizzard of the century in this area. There was only 7 inches of snow measured at Sioux Falls , but wind gusts were up to 70 mph, wind chills were down to 70 below zero, and visibilities were below a quarter mile at the airport for 24 straight hours. There were 8 deaths in South Dakota during the storm, but only 2 can be attributed directly to the storm. Two college students from Sioux Falls died from exposure when their car stalled 3 miles east of Sioux Falls . A 2000 foot high broadcast tower east of Sioux Falls collapsed due to the storm. Livestock loss was an estimated 10 to 15 thousand head.