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South Dakota’s first February tornado on record

By Scott Bachmeier •

5-minute GOES-16 Red Visible (0.64 µm, left) and Clean Infrared Window (10.3 µm, right) images, with/without an overlay of GLM Flash Extent Density, from 2031-2221 UTC on 24 February [click to play MP4 animation]

5-minute CONUS Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) Visible and Infrared images (above) displayed a thunderstorm that was moving southeast from Aberdeen (KABR) to Watertown (KATY) in northeastern South Dakota on 24 February 2025. While overall GLM-detected lightning activity was relatively modest, periodic increases in Flash Extent Density (orange to red pixels) were evident.

A Special Weather Statement was issued for this thunderstorm at 2058 UTC (below), advising on its potential to produce 50 mph winds and nickel-size hail.

GOES-16 Red Visible (0.64 µm, left) and Clean Infrared Window (10.3 µm, right) images at 2101 UTC, with/without an overlay of a Special Weather Statement polygon and GLM Flash Extent Density [click to enlarge]

GOES-19 (Preliminary/Non-operational) Visible and Infrared images (below) included a red “T” denoting the location of a brief tornado that occurred at 2211 UTC, southeast of Watertown (NWS Aberdeen | SPC Storm Reports).

5-minute GOES-19 Red Visible (0.64 µm, left) and Clean Infrared Window (10.3 µm, right) images, from 2101-2211 UTC on 24 February. The location of the 2211 UTC tornado is plotted in red [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

Categories: GLM, GOES-16, GOES-19, Lightning, Severe convection