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Ski Report

Great Bear Recreation Park Snow Report

Iowa, United States Sioux Falls
New snow
0.0in
Past 24 hours
Base depth
0in
 
Wind
--
 
Temperature
85°F
 
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Next 24 hours
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Right now · nearest snotel
0 in snowpack
As of 2024-06-22
SWE
0.0in
Air temp
85°F
Past 24h
0in
Past 72h
0in
Next 24h
--in
Next 5d
--in
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Great Bear Recreation Park -- Iowa ski resort
Great Bear Recreation Park Iowa · Sioux Falls
About this resort

Great Bear Recreation Park

Great Bear Recreation Park ski resort in South Dakota offers 14 trails, ranging from beginner to advanced, and is best known for its night skiing. The beginner-friendly Bunny Hill trail is recommended for first-time skiers. The resort also offers snowboarding and tubing. An interesting fact is that the Great Bear Recreation Park was originally a dumpsite, which was transformed into a winter recreation area in the 1960s. The resort's lodge features a full-service bar and restaurant, with the Caribou Lounge being a popular spot for apres ski drinks and entertainment.

Terrain mix: Great Bear Recreation Park in South Dakota is located in the Big Sioux River valley, which is part of the Coteau des Prairies. The area is characterized by rolling hills and valleys, with the park itself situated within the Big Sioux River Recreation Corridor.

The park's ski resort features several ski runs and trails varying in difficulty, with the highest point in the park reaching an elevation of around 1,100 feet. The terrain is relatively gentle compared to other mountain ranges, making it ideal for beginner and intermediate skiers.

While not located in a specific mountain range, Great Bear Recreation Park offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts in South Dakota.

StateIowa
LocationSioux Falls
Detailed forecast

Plan your day down to the hour

Same weather feed Snoflo's iOS app uses -- updated continuously from NOAA / yr.no. Watch the snow column the morning of a storm to know when to call in sick.

Hourly detail

Next 5 days, hour by hour

Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.

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Deep dive

5-day forecast table

Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.

TimeConditionTemp (°F)Snow (in)Rain (in)Humidity (%)Wind (mps)Wind dir
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Long-term outlook

15-day temperature & snow

Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks -- start of next storm cycle, end of last one.

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Forecast discussion

What forecasters are seeing

Plain-English forecast narrative from the local NWS office. Issued by NWS FSD.

356 FXUS63 KFSD 020736 AFDFSD Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 236 AM CDT Fri Oct 2 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - A few sprinkles will be possible along and north of the Highway-14 corridor this afternoon and Saturday afternoon. - Mostly dry and seasonable conditions will persist into the new week with highs mainly in the 60s to 70s. && .UPDATE... Issued at 235 AM CDT Fri Oct 2 2026 Taking a look across the area, mostly clear and quiet conditions continue this morning as mid-level clouds move in overhead. With lighter surface winds in place, a cooler start to the weekend is expected with a few areas across southwestern MN and far eastern SD potentially waking up to temperatures in the upper 30s. However, these conditions won`t last long as increasing southeasterly winds help temperature increase into the low to mid 60s for the day. Looking aloft, west-northwest flow will help usher in a weak wave this afternoon potentially leading to a few sprinkles. While confidence is low in any measurable accumulations, there could be enough saturation in the profile to create a few spits along and north of the Highway-14 corridor. Updated our POPs to reflect this line of thinking. Otherwise, a lifting warm front by Saturday could help temperatures rebound to the low to mid 70s mainly west of Highway-81. Lastly, additional sprinkles will be possible by Saturday afternoon as a cold front swings through. Similar to this afternoon, any resulting accumulations will light. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 117 PM CDT Thu Oct 1 2026 Cool, dry high pressure settles southward tonight leading to lighter winds and clearing skies. May be some mid/high level clouds so that could offset some of the potential radiational cooling. The NBM 10th percentile does sneak down to about 36 in parts of southwest MN and nearby locations, but for now expect low temperatures around 38 or higher with lower to mid 40s near and west of I-29. So, not a zero percent chance for patchy frost, but too low to issue any headlines. High pressure slowly moves east on Friday, so expecting some cool high temperatures. Highs generally in the low to mid 60s. Southerly flow increasing in the afternoon west of I-29, then across the entire area Friday night. Lows may need to be increased a bit into the lower to mid 50s given the expected 925 mb temperatures. Saturday will be warmer with southerly flow turning southwest during the afternoon. Highs more consistently in the upper 60s to lower 70s. A cool front moves through Saturday night into Sunday bringing cool and dry conditions. Monday will be dry and cool with highs in the 60s while southerly flow increases Tuesday into Wednesday ahead of the next wave, bringing a better potential for highs in the 70s. A series of weak, moisture starved systems will move through the Northern Plains over the next 7 days, resulting in little to no impacts. The better chances for sprinkles or very light showers will be Friday and Saturday then again Monday into Tuesday. Both show waves moving by to the north with the tail end of forcing scraping by the area. Little to no instability with each wave coupled with abundant dry air leaves little in the way of precipitation production potential. Friday and Saturday looks like the better chance for a spotty shower will be north of I-90 where better mid level saturation is expected. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1112 PM CDT Thu Oct 1 2026 Mid level clouds will start to move to the east-northeast through the day on Friday, bringing a slight chance of sprinkles, but most likely virga to the Highway 14 corridor during the daytime hours Friday. Light northerly winds to start the period will turn southeasterly heading through the daytime hours Friday, with breezy conditions expected in south-central South Dakota by the late morning/early afternoon. This is when we`ll see winds that could gust to around 30 kts. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None. && $$ UPDATE...05 DISCUSSION...08 AVIATION...Samet
Around the area

Beyond the slopes

Other ski areas, basecamp options, alpine fishing, and scenic stops near Great Bear Recreation Park -- worth knowing whether you're in for a day, a long weekend, or a season pass.

Mountain & avalanche safety

Know before you go
Check today's avalanche bulletin from the regional avalanche center before any off-piste / side-country / backcountry travel. Conditions can shift dramatically between morning and afternoon on storm days.
Carry the gear, know how to use it
Beacon, shovel, probe. Practice companion rescue on a calm day, not during a real burial.
Mind the weather window
Heavy snow + wind builds wind slabs at ridgelines. The day after a storm is often the riskiest in the backcountry, even if the resort itself is open.
Respect closed terrain
Ropes are there for a reason. Even in-bounds, ducking a closure can trigger a slide that catches you and others below.

Track Great Bear Recreation Park in the Snoflo app

Save this resort as a favorite, set push alerts when snowfall crosses a threshold (e.g. "alert me when Great Bear Recreation Park reports 6″ new"), and Snoflo's iOS app will push the moment the SNOTEL station crosses.

FAQ

About Great Bear Recreation Park

Where does the snow data for Great Bear Recreation Park come from?

Snowpack, SWE, 24-hour snowfall, and air temperature come from the nearest USDA NRCS SNOTEL station. Forecast comes from the National Weather Service / yr.no feed that Snoflo's iOS app uses.

How often is the snow report updated?

Snowpack and SNOTEL data are updated continuously by NRCS (typically hourly). The 15-day weather forecast is refreshed throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- look for the "as of" timestamp on the snowpack hero.

What's the elevation at Great Bear Recreation Park?

See the Resort Metrics panel above for base / summit / vertical drop. The summit elevation drives snowpack accumulation -- higher summits hold snow longer through spring.

How is "% of normal" calculated?

Today's snowpack is compared to the average snowpack on this calendar day across every recorded year at the nearest SNOTEL. 100% means right on average; 130% is a big year; 60% is thin.

What ski resorts are near Great Bear Recreation Park?

See the Other Ski Areas pill grid at the bottom of the page for resorts within driving distance. The sister Other Ski Areas card in the Plan-a-longer-trip grid above shows the closest few.

Can I get alerts when fresh snow hits?

Yes -- snow alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this resort, set a snowfall threshold (e.g. "alert me when 6+ inches"), and you'll get a push the moment the SNOTEL crosses.

More ski areas

Other resorts near here

Snoflo-tracked ski areas within driving distance of Great Bear Recreation Park.