Winter Storm, Morris
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Morris forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.687, -96.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Kansas, January 17 to 18, 1996
The worst winter storm in years blasted across northcentral and northeast Kansas beginning Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday night. A powerful cold front led the charge producing scattered thunderstorms that quickly changed to sleet, freezing rain then snow.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 23 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 23
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS TOP wrote it up.
The worst winter storm in years blasted across northcentral and northeast Kansas beginning Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday night. A powerful cold front led the charge producing scattered thunderstorms that quickly changed to sleet, freezing rain then snow. Total accumlations were under 5 inches but winds of 50 to 60 mph caused blizzard conditions with zero visibility and considerable drifting snow. The winds continued well after the snow had ended causing blowing and drifting snow. Mild temperatures in the 50s and 60s ahead of the cold front plummented into the teens about an hour later. At the same time, wind chill readings ranged from 40 to 60 below zero. Travel was difficult, if not impossible in some rural areas while many schools and business were closed both Thursday and again Friday, the 19th. Scattered damage occurred to roofs, buildings and homes with power outages common. Water pipes froze in some buildings.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
23 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Wabaunsee
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Wabaunsee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.953, -96.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Douglas
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Douglas forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.885, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Lyon
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lyon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.456, -96.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Osage
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Osage forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.652, -95.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Franklin
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.565, -95.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Coffey
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Coffey forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.237, -95.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Anderson
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Anderson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.214, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Shawnee
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Shawnee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.042, -95.756 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Republic
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Republic forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.828, -97.651 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Marshall
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.784, -96.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Brown
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Brown forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.827, -95.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Washington
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.784, -97.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Nemaha
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Nemaha forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.784, -96.014 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Cloud
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cloud forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.480, -97.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Clay
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.350, -97.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Riley
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Riley forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.297, -96.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Pottawatomie
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pottawatomie forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.379, -96.342 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jackson
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.417, -95.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jefferson
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.236, -95.383 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Ottawa
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ottawa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.133, -97.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Dickinson
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dickinson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.867, -97.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Geary
- When
- January 17, 8:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Geary forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.002, -96.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in Texas, January 17, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 17 to 18, 1996
- High Wind in Kansas, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Dust Storm in Arizona, January 17, 1996
- High Wind in Iowa, January 17 to 19, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- High Wind in Texas, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 1996
More
Every storm in Kansas in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, January 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5539276, 5539277, 5539278, 5539279, 5539280, 5539281, 5539282, 5539283, 5542943, 5542944, 5542945, 5542946, 5542947, 5542948, 5542949, 5542950, 5542951, 5542952, 5542953, 5542954, 5542955, 5542956, 5542957.