Winter Storm, Jewell
- When
- March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jewell forecast zone
- Property damage
- $300,000
- Coordinates
- 39.785, -98.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Kansas, March 7 to 12, 1998
A strong, late season winter storm belted north central Kansas with near blizzard conditions and 6 to 12 inches of snow over the weekend. The storm developed in the southwest United States and slowly moved northeast across the Central Plains.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
- $300,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
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 GID wrote it up.
A strong, late season winter storm belted north central Kansas with near blizzard conditions and 6 to 12 inches of snow over the weekend. The storm developed in the southwest United States and slowly moved northeast across the Central Plains. A mixture of light rain and freezing rain fell across north central Kansas on Saturday the 7th, before changing to snow in the evening. The snow, heavy at times, lasted through the night before ending by midday on Sunday, the 8th.On Sunday, an increasing north wind gusting to 50 mph resulting in six foot drifts, impassible roads and near blizzard conditions. Fortunately, ample lead time and accurate forecasts give most residents the choice to stay at home, thus limiting the number of accidents on area roads. The dollor amount of losses were primarily to livestock that didn't survive the storm. In Rooks County, 500 head of cattle were reported killed.Once the wind subsided some by Monday morning of the 9th, folks were left with the task of digging out just as record cold settled across the region. Morning low temperatures dropped below zero in spots on the 9th, 10th, and 11th. Despite sunshine, afternoon highs struggled for 25 degrees.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Mitchell
- When
- March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mitchell forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.393, -98.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Osborne
- When
- March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Osborne forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.350, -98.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Phillips
- When
- March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Phillips forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.785, -99.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Rooks
- When
- March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Rooks forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.350, -99.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Smith
- When
- March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Smith forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.785, -98.785 (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
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, March 7 to 8, 1998
- Blizzard in Kansas, March 7 to 8, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Louisiana, March 7, 1998
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, March 7 to 30, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Alabama, March 7, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Puerto Rico, March 7, 1998
- Hail in Mississippi, March 7, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, March 7, 1998
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, March 7 to 12, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 7, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, March 7, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Georgia, March 7, 1998
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: 5634038, 5634039, 5634040, 5634041, 5634042, 5634043.