And I thought it was March that was supposed to come in like a lion.

It never fails that the very moment I believe summer weather is within reach, a storm such as this one smacks me into reality. The truth is: There's always a chance for a blizzard in the Hills until Mother's Day, and sometimes beyond.

Needless to say, weather (and the promise of weather) dominated this week's top stories.

Top 5 stories of the week

1. Blizzard warning issued for the Hills

The title is a little misleading, as this is simply the latest version of a developing weather story that began Thursday afternoon when parts of the Hills had already received 18 inches of snow and were expecting more. The No. 2 story was the earlier version of this story, "Snow storm still on track," which assured readers in Rapid City who were enjoying a midday respite from the weather on Thursday.

2. Turkey hunter hits teens instead

A Rapid Reply favorite, this hunting mishap had a relatively good outcome as an out-of-state hunter's poor decision injured - but in a nonlife-threatening way - two hikers.

3. Ellsworth airman killed by explosive in Afghanistan

The tragic news that Airman Jonathan Yelner was killed by an improvised explosive device near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan is the kind of top story we never like to see. In talking with friends and family for followups to this main story, it became evident that the first airman from Ellsworth to die in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq squeezed as much life into his 24 years as he could.

4. Spring storm could pack a wallop

Plenty of weather forecasting bashing going on Rapid Reply here, but the storm held true at least to some level for most in our readership area. The thing about weather is, it's always news because it's always changing.

5. Woman who starved, tied up toddler gets five years in prison

Sometimes, the news is downright disturbing, as was the case here. A secondary upsetting fact is that the child was in foster care, and when something like this happens to a foster child, it just makes it harder for those who do a good job of making a bad situation better in the case of foster care.

Top 5 Videos

1. A Violinist's Dream

Already featured in The Fives, I will repeat what I said earlier: This is probably the best video we have produced since going online with video a little more than a year ago.

2. Raw Video: Baby Rhino Makes Public Debut

Aaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

3. Rock Shop Essay Contest

Got agate?

4. 31 Teens From FLDS Ranch Pregnant or Mothers

Sometimes, the shocking news is what drives people to watch video. It isn't like it was a complete surprise, but after days of videos that showed crying mothers talking about how authorities disrupted their idyllic lives, this news out of Texas turned the story on its ear.

5. Raw Video: Troopers Behaving Badly?

Bad boys, bad boys, what you going to do? What you going to do when they come for you?

Acutally, I think it was the police car ramming the motorcyclist that kept viewers tuned in to this video.

Best Rapid Replies of the Week

Smack talk about the weather? Wow. Only in South Dakota!

to all nay sayers on 05/02/2008 05:40:34 said:

"To all of you who posted negative comments about the NWS… currently heavy snow in Rapid City with sustained winds at 51mph gusting to 63mph. From my understanding- a blizzard. So lets let the meteorologists do their jobs and if you don't know how the atmosphere works, don't comment about it. It's a lot more complicated than you think."

re to all nay sayers on 05/02/2008 05:59:50 said:

"There's an old saying… if you throw enough mud on the wall, it will eventually stick. Same goes for WX forecasting. It's not an exact science. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Yes, they were right this time. But in times past they've been wrong too.

People are allowed to comment on the weather, be it praise or condemn. It's still America… at least for a little while longer. Let's cherish our freedoms, including the right to speak freely (right OR wrong), while we still have that right."

Most popular poll of the week

This was no surprise - our most popular poll in some time.

Do you support a ban on abortions in South Dakota with exceptions for rape, incest and health of the woman?

Yes

(2915 Votes, 53%)

No

(2543 Votes, 47%)

Editor's pick:

Hands down winner for today is Safe Travel USA and it's various travel cameras. They can get a little behind sometime and will be obscured at times today, but during big storms, there's nothing like it for an eye on the sky live report