Winter Storm, Jewell
- When
- February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jewell forecast zone
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 39.785, -98.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Kansas, February 4 to 5, 2004
A major winter storm dumped heavy snow across most of north-central Kansas. The snow began early on the 4th and continued through about dawn on the 5th.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
- 5
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 major winter storm dumped heavy snow across most of north-central Kansas. The snow began early on the 4th and continued through about dawn on the 5th. Heavy snow fell in two separate bursts, with the second burst producing snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Total snowfall across north-central Kansas ranged from 6 inches at Ionia, to nearly 12 inches at Lebanon and almost 14 inches at Beloit. A large majority of schools were closed due to snow on the 4th and 5th. The snow also brought very beneficial moisture to areas of drought-stricken north-central Kansas.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 3, 2:44 PM CST, 12 hours 16 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 2:44 PM CST, 12 hours 16 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 244 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2004 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE OUT OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES TONIGHT...THEN INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WIDESPREAD SNOW ACROSS THE AREA. SNOW WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE CWA...SPREADING TO THE NORTHEAST DURING THE NIGHT. SNOW WILL CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM IS THE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. QPF AMOUNTS INCREASED SOME AND THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE ADVECTING INTO THE AREA ON ISENTROPIC SURFACES SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. WILL START A WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT FOR SOUTHWEST PART OF CWA. FURNAS...HARLAN...FRANKLIN...PHILLIPS...SMITH...OSBORNE AND ROOKS COUNTIES. THE REST OF THE CWA WILL THEN HAVE A WARNING STARTING 12Z. WINDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY ADDING TO THE COMPLICATIONS. THIS SNOW WILL BE A LITTLE MORE WET AND HEAVY THAN THE PAST SNOWS...SO ONCE THE SNOW STICKS TO THE GROUND...IT SHOULD STAY. .LONG TERM...ATTENTION REMAINS ON SNOWSTORM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW FALLING IS NOT EVEN A QUESTION AT THIS POINT...AND NOW ITS MORE A MATTER OF AMOUNTS AND WHERE HEAVY SNOWBAND WILL RESIDE. GFS TRENDING TRENDING STRONGER AND FURTHER NORTH WITH UPPER LOW...MORE IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS ETA SOLUTION. UPPER LOW MOVES OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES LATE WEDNESDAY. ISENTROPIC LIFT CONTINUES EARLY IN THE EVENING...THEN AS SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST AND DEEPENS...DEFORMATION ZONE SNOWFALL SETS UP ACROSS OUR CWA WITH SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...CONTINUING OVERNIGHT. MIXING RATIOS AVERAGE 2 TO 3 G/KG THROUGHOUT THE EVENT WITH 4 G/KG ADVECTING INTO THE AREA. MESOETA NEGATIVE EPV FIELDS INDICATE INSTABILITY ACROSS NORTHERN KANSAS AND SOUTHERN NEBRASKA WEDNESDAY EVENING PRESENTING POSSIBILITY OF CSI SNOW BANDING. UPPER DYNAMICS...LARGE SCALE PROLONGED LIFT AND ABUNDANT MOISTURE WILL ALL LEAD TO A SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT FOR OUR AREA. UPPER LOW SITS ACROSS NORTHERN KS/SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA INTO THURSDAY WITH WRAP AROUND SNOWFALL PERSISTING INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE LONG DURATION EVENT WILL LEAD TO HIGH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS...OVERALL RANGING FROM 6 TO 8 INCHES IN NORTHWEST COUNTIES TO 10 TO 12 IN THE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST ZONES...AGAIN PROMPTING ISSUANCE OF WINTER STORM WARNING. SOUTHWEST ZONES WILL REMAIN IN THE WARNING UNTIL THURSDAY MORNING WITH REMAINDER OF ZONES IN THE WARNING UNTIL NOON. SOME OF THE LOW LEVEL JET H85 WINDS OF 30 TO 45KTS WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY EVENING WILL MIX TO THE SURFACE WITH WINDS OF 15-20 MPH WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS CAUSING BLOWING SNOW. WRAPAROUND SNOWFALL GRADUALLY TAPERS OFF FROM THE WEST ON THURSDAY. IN SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE SYSTEM BY FRIDAY...H85 WINDS PROGGED IN THE 30-40KT RANGE CAUSING ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS GIVEN EXPECTED SNOWFALL AROUND. BY THE WEEKEND WE TRANSITION TO NORTHWEST FLOW WITH GFS ADVERTISING ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TO DIVE SOUTH TOWARD THE SOUTHERN PLAINS LATE SATURDAY. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TRENDS ON THIS WITH OVERALL TRACK AND POTENTIAL SNOWFALL EXPECTED TO OUR SOUTH ATTM. THE LATEST GFS IS MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THIS THAN PREVIOUS RUNS WHICH DEEPEN THE LOW OVER THE ROCKIES WITH SYSTEM ARRIVING EARLY NEXT WEEK. OVERALL NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE TO EXTENDED OTHER THAN TO INTRODUCE SNOW CHANCES ON MONDAY. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...WINTER STORM WARNING MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY FOR FURNAS...HARLAN...FRANKLIN. NE...WINTER STORM WARNING 6 AM WEDNESDAY UNTIL 12 PM THURSDAY FOR WEBSTER...NUCKOLLS...THAYER...FILLMORE...CLAY...ADAMS...KEARNEY... PHELPS...GOSPER...DAWSON...BUFFALO...HALL...HAMILTON...YORK...POLK... MERRICK...NANCE...HOWARD...SHERMAN...VALLEY...GREELEY KS...WINTER STORM WARNING MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY FOR PHILLIPS...ROOKS...SMITH...OSBORNE KS...WINTER STORM WARNING 6 AM WEDNESDAY UNTIL 12 PM THURSDAY FOR JEWELL...MITCHELL && FAY/JCB
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 3, 2:55 PM CST, 12 hours 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED TYPO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 255 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2004 KSZ005-006-017-018-NEZ082>084-041200- FRANKLIN-FURNAS-HARLAN-OSBORNE-PHILLIPS-ROOKS-SMITH- 255 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ...A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED. SNOW IS LIKELY TO BEGIN ACROSS AREAS TO THE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND TO THE WEST OF HIGHWAY 281 BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. LOCATIONS TO THE SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM ARAPAHOE TO OSBORNE MAY SEE 2 TO 4 INCHES BEFORE DAWN WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A STEADY AND PROLONGED SNOW EVENT ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ...WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY...WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW LATE IN THE DAY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AN ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 6 INCHES IS POSSIBLE BEFORE SUNSET. IN ADDITION...SOUTH WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM THIS STORM WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM 10 TO 13 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHERN NEBRASKA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... EMERGENCY PLANNING IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED AND PROPER PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE IN PLACE BEFORE THIS NEXT STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE REGION. THIS IS A VERY POTENT STORM. DISPATCHERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS MAY BE ASKED TO PROVIDE SNOWFALL REPORTS. KSZ007-019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-085>087-041200- ADAMS-BUFFALO-CLAY-DAWSON-FILLMORE-GOSPER-GREELEY-HALL-HAMILTON- HOWARD-JEWELL-KEARNEY-MERRICK-MITCHELL-NANCE-NUCKOLLS-PHELPS-POLK- SHERMAN-THAYER-VALLEY-WEBSTER-YORK- 255 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ...A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING WEDNESDAY MORNING... SNOW IS LIKELY TO BEGIN ACROSS AREAS TO THE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 281 BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A STEADY AND PROLONGED SNOW EVENT ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH MID DAY THURSDAY... SNOW WILL CONTINUE...AND INTENSIFY THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY...WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW LATE IN THE DAY WEDNESDAY...WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 7 INCHES ARE ANTICIPATED BY 6 PM WEDNESDAY EVENING. IN ADDITION...SOUTH WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM THIS STORM WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM 7 TO 11 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHERN NEBRASKA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THIS IS A VERY POTENT STORM. EMERGENCY PLANNING IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED AND PROPER PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE IN PLACE BEFORE THIS NEXT STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE REGION. DISPATCHERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS MAY BE ASKED TO PROVIDE SNOWFALL REPORTS. LEWIS
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Mitchell
- When
- February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Mitchell forecast zone
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 39.393, -98.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Osborne
- When
- February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Osborne forecast zone
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 39.350, -98.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Phillips
- When
- February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Phillips forecast zone
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 39.785, -99.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Smith
- When
- February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Smith forecast zone
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- 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
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 4 to 5, 2004
- Winter Storm in New York, February 4, 2004
- Winter Storm in New York, February 4, 2004
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 4 to 5, 2004
- Winter Storm in Vermont, February 4, 2004
- Winter Storm in Kansas, February 4 to 5, 2004
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Oklahoma, February 4 to 5, 2004
- Winter Storm in Arkansas, February 4 to 5, 2004
- Winter Storm in Kansas, February 4, 2004
- Winter Storm in Kansas, February 4 to 5, 2004
- Winter Storm in Vermont, February 4, 2004
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 4 to 5, 2004
More
Every storm in Kansas in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, February 2004
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: 5386857, 5386858, 5386859, 5386860, 5386861.