TL;DR

Two tornadoes touched down in central South Dakota Wednesday evening near Ideal and Hamill, confirmed by multiple storm chasers. The tornadoes were part of a broader severe weather outbreak across the Northern Plains that produced 13 hail reports and 28 wind reports spanning nine states. No EF ratings have been assigned yet, and no injuries have been reported.

What happened Wednesday evening

Storm chasers documented two separate tornadoes in central South Dakota on the evening of June 3, 2026, as a shortwave trough moved across the Northern Plains.

The first tornado touched down approximately one mile west of Ideal in Tripp County at 0002 UTC (7:02 PM CDT). According to the National Weather Service in Rapid City, multiple storm chaser reports confirmed the tornado, with photo evidence and location data submitted via social media.

The second tornado occurred roughly 20 minutes later, touching down six miles southwest of Hamill in Gregory County at 0020 UTC (7:20 PM CDT). The NWS noted this tornado remained on the ground from at least 7:20 PM to 7:25 PM CDT, documented by multiple reports and videos from storm chasers in the area.

Both tornadoes remain unrated as of this writing. National Weather Service survey teams will assess damage in the coming days to assign official Enhanced Fujita Scale ratings.

The broader severe weather picture

Wednesday's tornadoes were embedded in a larger severe weather event that stretched from the Dakotas south through the Central Plains and into isolated pockets of the Southeast.

The NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) had highlighted the potential for severe thunderstorms across the Northern Plains in its Day 1 Convective Outlook, noting that "severe thunderstorms capable of large to very large hail and damaging winds are possible today from parts of the northern High Plains across much of South Dakota."

The outlook proved accurate. In addition to the two tornadoes, the event produced:

  • 13 hail reports across South Dakota, with the largest hailstones reaching 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size) near Wessington and Presho, South Dakota
  • 28 wind reports spanning nine states, including an 84 mph gust in Frederick, South Dakota, where a personal weather station recorded the measurement

Frederick, located in Brown County in northeastern South Dakota, bore the brunt of the wind damage. The NWS office in Aberdeen reported that wind destroyed a small building at a football field, snapped several trees, and toppled a radio tower. Additional reports described two outbuildings lost, a football field scoreboard destroyed, and a pergola structure blown into a home, punching a hole in the wall. The city of Frederick lost power, with outages persisting into the late evening.

Where the storms developed

The meteorological setup Wednesday featured fast zonal flow across the northern United States, with a shortwave trough moving from western Montana toward the Northern Plains. Easterly low-level winds transported moisture westward, pushing dewpoints into the 50s across southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming.

According to the SPC outlook, daytime heating combined with increasing large-scale ascent triggered scattered afternoon thunderstorms. While storm coverage remained limited, the cells that did develop became supercells—rotating thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds.

The tornadoes near Ideal and Hamill developed along the southern flank of this system as storms spread eastward into central South Dakota through the evening hours. A surface boundary extending from south-central South Dakota provided additional focus for storm development farther east.

Hail and wind across the region

Beyond the tornadoes, hail was a significant component of Wednesday's severe weather. The largest hailstones—1.5 inches in diameter—fell near Wessington and Presho in central South Dakota around 2240 UTC and 2326 UTC respectively. Quarter-size hail (1.0 inch) was widely reported across South Dakota, with one report noting "copious amounts of 3/4 inch to 1 inch hail" that lasted approximately 25 minutes.

Wind damage extended well beyond South Dakota. In Ulysses, Kansas, social media reports with photographic evidence showed a large section of a garage roof torn off, along with tree damage throughout the community. In Canby, Minnesota, law enforcement reported downed tree branches blocking roads. New Mexico saw two separate wind reports exceeding 60 mph at weather observation sites near Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands.

The Frederick wind event stands out not only for the 84 mph gust but also for the breadth of structural damage. An irrigation pivot was flipped over north of Britton, and widespread tree and power line damage was reported along 104th Street and 423rd Avenue.

What we're watching next

The severe weather threat continues across portions of the Central and Northern Plains today, June 4. The SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook maintains a Slight Risk across parts of South Dakota, with scattered thunderstorms capable of large hail and damaging winds expected this afternoon and evening.

Looking ahead to Friday, June 5, the SPC has issued an Enhanced Risk—the third-highest category on the five-tier scale—covering portions of Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This represents an escalation in the severe weather threat, with a more organized system expected to bring a higher probability of significant severe weather to the Central Plains and Upper Midwest.

Residents across the Northern Plains should monitor local NWS forecasts closely over the next 48 hours. Severe weather remains possible in many of the same areas affected Wednesday night.

Staying alert during evening and overnight severe weather

Wednesday's tornadoes touched down during the early evening hours, when visibility was still adequate for storm chasers to document them. However, many severe weather events across the Plains occur after dark, when tornadoes become difficult or impossible to see.

The National Weather Service issues Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) for tornado warnings, which bypass Do Not Disturb mode on most smartphones by default. Third-party weather apps are silenced by Do Not Disturb, though these WEA alerts still break through on most phones. For households with multiple people or those who want redundant alerting, a NOAA Weather Radio provides continuous monitoring of NWS warnings.

When a tornado warning is issued for your area, move immediately to the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Interior rooms such as bathrooms, closets, or hallways offer the best protection. Mobile homes and vehicles offer little to no protection from tornadoes—if you're in one when a warning is issued, seek shelter in a permanent structure if time allows.

VORTEX is a free web app at vortexintel.app that monitors severe weather nationwide. Pro ($4.99/month) places phone calls to your phone when a tornado or flash flood warning is issued for a location you care about — calls can ring through Do Not Disturb once you enable Emergency Bypass for the number, unlike most third-party app notifications.