Buffalo County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Buffalo County, SD right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 809 alerts that included Buffalo County, roughly 81 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (123 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on July 2, 2026. 17 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Buffalo County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Hyde County, Hand County, Lyman County, Brule County.
Buffalo County alert history
Alert events that included Buffalo County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 123 | 20 | July 25, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 113 | 10 | October 24, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 96 | 9 | August 24, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 85 | 6 | April 3, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 65 | 9 | November 7, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 58 | 5 | July 29, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 42 | 4 | January 25, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 39 | 11 | September 11, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 28 | 1 | March 14, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 26 | 3 | March 12, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 22 | 6 | May 15, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 21 | 0 | March 24, 2024 |
| Blizzard Warning | 15 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 13 | 0 | February 17, 2025 |
| Frost Advisory | 11 | 1 | October 14, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 10 | 2 | March 12, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 9 | 1 | May 20, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 6 | 2 | June 9, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 5 | 1 | July 2, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 4 | 0 | October 7, 2023 |
| Flood Watch | 4 | 0 | June 20, 2024 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 3 | 0 | June 20, 2025 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 3 | 1 | July 26, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 3 | 2 | July 2, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 2 | 0 | June 21, 2024 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 2 | 0 | December 22, 2022 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 1 | 0 | November 10, 2022 |
Tornado history in Buffalo County
17 tornadoes have been recorded in Buffalo County since 1950, injuring 10 people. That ranks 55 of 66 counties in South Dakota. The most recent was on June 18, 2014 (rated EF0).
Strongest tornadoes in Buffalo County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 16, 1992 | F3 | Buffalo County | 2 mi | 73 yd | 0 | 8 |
| May 20, 1982 | F1 | Buffalo County | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 6, 1987 | F0 | Buffalo County | 8 mi | 40 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 18, 2014 | EF0 | Buffalo County | 2 mi | 400 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 1, 1955 | F0 | Buffalo County | 0.8 mi | 220 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 18, 2014 | EF0 | Buffalo County | 0.7 mi | 250 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 18, 2014 | EF0 | Buffalo County | 2 mi | 400 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 7, 1993 | F0 | Buffalo County | 0.1 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 7, 1993 | F0 | Buffalo County | 0.1 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 16, 1992 | F3 | Buffalo County | 2 mi | 73 yd | 0 | 8 |
About Buffalo County
- Population: 1,825 (2024 estimate)
- State: South Dakota
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 046017 (how to use it)