Gregory Buttes Webcam – See the Plains From Above

The Gregory Buttes Webcam looks down on the observation deck built on the high ground behind Gregory, South Dakota, and out across the farmland past it. A flagpole stands near the center of the frame. To its right sits a curved stone dedication wall, and below both of them a railed concrete platform fills the foreground. Beyond the deck the ground falls away into the trees of the Gregory City Park, then flattens into the crop sections and shelterbelts that run to the horizon. Sky takes up the top third of the picture and sets the tone for everything under it. In winter, with about 1,140 millimeters (45 inches) of snow in an average year, the same fields often go flat and white.

About Gregory Buttes

Gregory sits at 661 meters (2,169 feet) above sea level in western Gregory County, on the rolling tableland between the Missouri River and the Nebraska state line. The 2020 census counted 1,221 residents. The town was laid out in 1904 and incorporated on December 7, 1908, taking its name from the county around it. It is not the county seat: Burke holds that, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) to the southeast. Dallas lies roughly 6 kilometers (4 miles) west. U.S. Route 18 and South Dakota Highway 47 meet here.

The high ground the camera watches carries the Gregory Buttes Observation Park, a raised platform with a flagpole and a dedication wall at one end. The wall holds a memorial plaque naming the families and individuals who paid for the project. Building it came with work on the paths below, where the Yucca Trail was improved and new walking trails were laid through the whole city park, with exercise stations set along them. From the platform the ground drops toward the park, and in the camera’s view the nearer treetops sit at about the same height as the railing.

Two creeks frame the town. Ponca Creek runs about 3 kilometers (2 miles) to the south, and the headwaters of South Fork Whetstone Creek rise to the northeast. The most violent day in the local record came on May 8, 1965, when an F5 tornado touched down on the town without killing anyone.

Weather and Climate in Gregory, South Dakota

The nearest long running weather station is at Winner, about 37 kilometers (23 miles) away and at a similar elevation, and its record gives a fair picture of what this camera works through. January is the coldest month, averaging a high of -1 C (30 F) and a low of -12 C (10 F), and December has gone as low as -38 C (-36 F). Spring arrives slowly. March highs average 8 C (47 F), and by May they reach 21 C (70 F). May and June are also the wettest months, at about 79 and 93 millimeters (3.1 and 3.7 inches), which is when the green in the frame is strongest and when severe weather is most likely.

July is the peak, averaging a high of 32 C (89 F) against a low of 17 C (62 F), and the record stands at 46 C (114 F). Annual precipitation runs about 677 millimeters (26.66 inches), so the summer picture is usually a worked landscape rather than a parched one. September still averages 26 C (78 F) and holds the color, and by November the average high has dropped to 8 C (45 F) and the sections go brown. Because the camera looks out over open ground from a height, weather tends to be visible in the frame before it is overhead.

Things to Do Near Gregory Buttes

The observation park is reached from the Gregory City Park below it, and that park is the town’s main recreation ground. It holds twin swimming pools with a slide, tennis courts, a ball diamond with a gazebo just east of it, horseshoe pits, playground equipment, concrete picnic tables and an American Legion memorial. A disc golf course was put in on the northeast side. The Yucca Trail and the newer walking paths circle the grounds, with exercise stations spaced along them.

Gregory Golf Course runs nine holes just east of town, with watered greens and fairways, and keeps a camera of its own pointed at the ninth. The Gregory County Historical Museum is at 605 Main Street in Dallas, about 6 kilometers (4 miles) west. Burke, the county seat, is 11 kilometers (7 miles) to the southeast. All of it sits within a short drive of the platform the Gregory Buttes Webcam watches.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Three more cameras from South Dakota and the plains states.

• Deadwood Webcam
• Sturgis Webcam
• Omaha Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Gregory, South Dakota located?

Gregory is in western Gregory County in south central South Dakota, close to the Nebraska line, where U.S. Route 18 meets South Dakota Highway 47. Burke, the county seat, is about 11 kilometers (7 miles) southeast, and Dallas is about 6 kilometers (4 miles) west.

What can you see on the Gregory Buttes Webcam?

The camera looks down on the Gregory Buttes Observation Park, so the deck, its flagpole and its curved dedication wall sit in the foreground. Behind them the ground drops into the trees of the city park and opens into farmland running to the horizon.

What is the weather like in Gregory, South Dakota?

Continental and open. January averages a high of -1 C (30 F) and a low of -12 C (10 F), July averages 32 C (89 F), and roughly 677 millimeters (26.66 inches) of precipitation falls in a year, most of it in May and June.

What is Gregory Buttes Observation Park?

It is a raised viewing platform on the high ground above the Gregory City Park, built with a dedication wall and a flagpole. The wall carries a memorial plaque listing the families and individuals who funded the work.

How high above sea level is Gregory, South Dakota?

The town sits at 661 meters (2,169 feet). The observation park stands on higher ground above it, which is what gives the camera its reach.

What is there to do in Gregory, South Dakota?

The city park below the platform has twin swimming pools, tennis courts, a ball diamond and a disc golf course, linked by the Yucca Trail and newer walking paths. Gregory Golf Course plays nine holes east of town, and the Gregory County Historical Museum is 6 kilometers (4 miles) west in Dallas.

Who operates the camera at Gregory Buttes?

The camera is provided by On Sight Security Systems and carried on the City of Gregory website. It is one of more than 30 cameras in the KELOLAND live camera network across South Dakota.

When is the best time to watch the Gregory Buttes Webcam?

Daylight hours in Central Time give the clearest picture, with late spring and early summer showing the most color in the fields. May and June are also the wettest months, so the open view to the horizon often has weather moving across it.

Source: City of Gregory