Some areas of western South Dakota saw more than five inches of rain since Thursday

The sunshine Monday brought relief to the area after steady rains fell across western South Dakota last week causing wet and gray conditions over the weekend.

Preliminary storm reports from the National Weather Service show varied rain totals from May 11 to May 14, with the highest report coming in at nearly eight inches in Spearfish. Bison in northwestern South Dakota received around four-and-a-half inches, while Ellsworth Air Force Base came in just under four inches. Heavy rains along the South Dakota-Nebraska border brought nearly four inches to places like Kyle.

The near-constant rain proved too much for smaller creeks like False Bottom in Spearfish, which flowed over the roadway and caused temporary closures of Roughlock Lane and Airport Road. Some minor flooding occurred in far-eastern Pennington County, with the Highway Department closing part of Big Foot Road after water covered the roadway.

The National Weather Service in Rapid City issued a flood warning from Monday morning to early Tuesday afternoon for the Cheyenne River near Plainview and Wasta. The Cheyenne River was measured at 15.8 feet Sunday morning and expected to crest to 17.4 feet by Monday evening. Flood stage is 17 feet.

National Weather Service Hydrologist Melissa Smith said the warning was issued because of some minor overflowing along the Cheyenne River right before it enters Lake Oahe. Another warning was issued Monday for the southern Cheyenne River Reservation as runoff continues flooding along the Cheyenne River.

Smith is hopeful the rain will have a measurable impact on the next drought monitor, which is set to be issued Thursday.

"The rainfall that we had over the past several days has done wonders for our soil moisture," she explained. "It has replenished our soil moisture in many locations, and in addition, the stock ponds are now filling up in many locations from this extra runoff that we were able to generate, which will really help things out at least in the short term for early this summer."

Rapid City has received about seven-and-a-half inches of rain since January 1, nearly two inches above normal.