Kansas, 1998

Ice Storm in Kansas, March 16 to 17, 1998

March 16 to 17, 1998 · NWS ICT · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Low pressure moving slowly northeast across Oklahoma and southern Kansas induced a strong, sub-freezing northeast surface upslope that, when combined with strong 850-mb warm advection, produced widespread freezing rain across Central and parts of South-Central Kansas. The freezing rain combined with northeast winds of 20-30 mph to produce 1/2-1 inch of glazing across Central Kansas with the…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1.0 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 ICT wrote it up.

Low pressure moving slowly northeast across Oklahoma and southern Kansas induced a strong, sub-freezing northeast surface upslope that, when combined with strong 850-mb warm advection, produced widespread freezing rain across Central and parts of South-Central Kansas. The freezing rain combined with northeast winds of 20-30 mph to produce 1/2-1 inch of glazing across Central Kansas with the greater accumulation across Russell and Barton counties. Extensive damage to trees, power lines and power poles resulted including a 300-foot radio tower that toppled over in northern Russell County.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Barton

When
March 16, 8:00 PM CST to March 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Barton forecast zone
Coordinates
38.479, -98.756 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Ellsworth

When
March 16, 8:00 PM CST to March 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Ellsworth forecast zone
Coordinates
38.697, -98.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Harper

When
March 16, 8:00 PM CST to March 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Harper forecast zone
Coordinates
37.192, -98.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Lincoln

When
March 16, 8:00 PM CST to March 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Coordinates
39.045, -98.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Reno

When
March 16, 8:00 PM CST to March 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Reno forecast zone
Coordinates
37.953, -98.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Rice

When
March 16, 8:00 PM CST to March 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Rice forecast zone
Coordinates
38.347, -98.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Russell

When
March 16, 8:00 PM CST to March 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Russell forecast zone
Property damage
$1.0 million
Coordinates
38.915, -98.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Saline

When
March 16, 8:00 PM CST to March 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Saline forecast zone
Coordinates
38.784, -97.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, March 1998

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5633336, 5633337, 5633432, 5633433, 5633434, 5633435, 5633436, 5633437.