Heavy Snow in Kansas, December 17, 2005

Name: Heavy Snow in Kansas, December 17, 2005
Start: 2005-12-17T09:00
End: 2005-12-17T21:44
Location: Kansas

December 17, 2005 · NWS ICT · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 ICT wrote it up.

A slow moving winter storm deposited 6 to 8 inches of snow across portions of central Kansas, beginning during the evening hours of December 16th and persisting through the late evening hours of December 17th. Snowfall rates were never very high, rather the long duration of light snow contributed to a majority of the snow accumulation. The greatest storm total of eight inches was reported at Brookville in Saline county. Three seperate vehicle accidents across Barton and Ellsworth counties resulted in four injuries (indirect). Numerous minor accidents occurred across the area.

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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 17, 6:37 AM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 17, 6:37 AM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
637 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

.UPDATE...
BANDED SNOWFALL ALONG THE 850-700H FRONTOGENETIC ZONE ALONG
INTERSTATE 70 IS LEADING TO SOME HEALTHY SNOW TOTALS. RUC MODEL
CONTINUES THIS ZONE OF INSTABILITY TO CONTINUE AT LEAST UNTIL NOON
WITH SNOWFALL RATES OF ONE INCH AN HOUR POSSIBLE...WITH SNOWFALL
TOTALS POSSIBLY REACHING THE 6 TO 8 INCH RANGE. SO HAVE DECIDED TO
UPGRADE 4 COUNTIES TO A WINTER STORM WARNING MAINLY ALONG
INTERSTATE 70 FROM RUSSELL TO SALINA.

UPDATE OUT SHORTLY.

KETCHAM

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 350 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005/

DISCUSSION...
MAIN DISCUSSION TODAY WILL BE ABOUT ONGOING WINTER WEATHER HEADLINES
TODAY INTO TONIGHT.

TODAY:
88D AND SURFACE REPORTS SHOW LIGHT SNOW ACROSS AREAS WEST OF
INTERSTATE 135 AT THIS TIME AS WARM ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC LIFT
CONTINUES OVER THE TOP OF THE WAVY SURFACE STATIONARY FRONT LOCATED
JUST SOUTH OF THE KS/OK BORDER. SHORT RANGE MODELS SEE NO LET UP IN
THIS ISENTROPIC LIFT IN THE 290K LAYER THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS...
ESPECIALLY IN CEN KS WITH 3 TO 5 INCHES STILL ON TRACK FOR AREAS
NORTH OF ICT. 850-700H FRONTOGENESIS AND AN AREA OF NEGATIVE EPV IN
THE PRIME -15 TO -18C SNOW GROWTH LAYER COULD LEAD TO BANDING ALONG
THE INCREASED INSTABILITY AXIS...WHICH COULD LEAD TO INCREASED SNOW
TOTALS ALONG INTERSTATE 70...AS THIS AREA OF INSTABILITY PERSISTS
UNTIL 18Z. SO MAY HAVE TO MAKE A MENTION OF SOME LOCALLIZED AMOUNTS
NEAR 6 INCHES IN ALONG A LINE FROM RSL TO SLN.

ADVISORY LOOKS RIGHT ON TRACK FOR THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH
2 TO 5 INCHES IN MOST LOCATIONS...WITH THE ONLY...FLY IN THE
OINTMENT...BEING STATIONARY FRONT CREEPING INTO THE KS COUNTIES JUST
SOUTH OF ICT..WITH SURFACE TEMPS APPROACHING FREEZING ALONG THE
BORDER. SO EXPECT MORE OF A WET SNOW ALONG THE BORDER...REDUCING
SNOW TOTALS SOUTH OF ICT.

ISENTROPIC LIFT BEGINS TO WANE ACROSS THE AREA BY THE AFTERNOON INTO
THE EVENING HOURS AS FIRST SHORTWAVE MOVES EAST OF THE AREA WITH
SOME DRYING IN THE MID LAYERS. THIS MID LAYER DRYING MAY ACTUALLY
LEAD TO A LULL IN THE LIGHT SNOW THIS AFTERNOON...OR POSSIBLY TURN
THE LIGHT SNOW OVER TO DRIZZLE/FREEZING DRIZZLE NEAR ICT OR ALONG
HIGHWAY 54.  WILL INSERT THIS MENTION INTO THE GRIDS AND ADVISORY
STATEMENT.

TONIGHT-SUNDAY:
NEXT SHORTWAVE PULLS OUT OF THE ROCKIES ACROSS KS THIS
EVENING...WITH 500H MOISTURE INCREASING...TO PRODUCE A SEEDER FEEDER
SNOW SITUATION...THAT WILL INCREASE LIGHT SNOW AS THE EVENING
PROGRESSES. THIS SECOND AREA OF SYNOPTIC LIFT AND ISENTROPIC LIFT
IS MOST PROMINENT OVER AREAS EAST OF THE TURNPIKE.  SO EXPECT AREAS
EAST OF THE TURNPIKE TO GET THEIR HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WITH THIS SECOND
SHORTWAVE WITH LIGHTER SNOW AMOUNTS NORTHWEST OF THIS.  CURRENT
ADVISORY TIMING LOOKS TO BE ON TRACK KEEPING SOUTHEAST KS GOING
UNTIL 12Z/SUN.  ISENTROPIC LIFT LOOKS TO END BY SUNDAY MORNING...BUT
ELONGATED MID LEVEL IMPULSE COULD KEEP LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE AREA.
COULD ALSO SEE SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE ALONG THE KS/OK BORDER...AS A
REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR SPILLS INTO THE AREA WITH THE CANADIAN
HIGH PRESSURE AREA. WILL NOT MENTION THIS IN THE ZONES...JUST YET...
BUT SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH LATER SHIFTS.

SUN NIGHT-MONDAY:
LIGHT SNOW CHANCES LOOK TO COME AN END SUN NIGHT INTO MON...AS
DOWNGLIDE INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA. WITH NEW SNOW COVER POSSIBLY
KEEPING TEMPS BELOW NORMAL. COULD SEE SOME SINGLE DIGITS IN CEN KS
FOR LOWS AS RIDGE AXIS MOVES OVERHEAD ON MONDAY MORNING.

TUE-THU:
NW FLOW CONTINUES ACROSS THE AREA FOR THE MID WEEK TIME FRAME...WITH
A SERIES OF IMPULSE EXPECTED TO MOVES FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST
ACROSS THE AREA.  MOST OF THE IMPULSES WILL BE MOISTURE STARVED WITH
SURFACE RIDGE AXIS TO THE SOUTH OF KS...SO WILL LEAVE REST OF THE
TIME FRAME DRY. CANNOT DISCOUNT THE CHANCE OF A FLURRIES/SPRINKLE
WITH THESE SYSTEMS...BUT WILL NOT TRY TO FORECAST TRACE AMOUNTS THIS
FAR OUT.

KETCHAM

&&

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    32  21  27  11 /  90  80  20  10
HUTCHINSON      31  17  25   9 / 100  70  20  10
NEWTON          31  18  26  11 / 100  80  20  10
ELDORADO        32  22  28  13 /  90  80  20  10
WINFIELD-KWLD   34  24  28  14 /  70  70  20  10
RUSSELL         26  15  23   5 /  90  60  20  10
GREAT BEND      28  15  23   6 /  90  50  20  10
SALINA          28  16  24   9 /  90  70  20  10
MCPHERSON       30  17  25  10 / 100  80  20  10
COFFEYVILLE     37  25  29  17 /  50  60  20  20
CHANUTE         36  22  29  15 /  60  70  20  10
IOLA            34  22  29  15 /  70  80  20  10

&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT SUNDAY FOR KSZ032-033-048-
049.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT SUNDAY FOR KSZ047-050>053-
067>069-082-083-091>093.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY FOR KSZ070>072-094-095-
098.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 17, 5:45 AM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
545 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-181200-
RUSSELL-LINCOLN-BARTON-ELLSWORTH-SALINE-RICE-MCPHERSON-MARION-CHASE-
RENO-HARVEY-BUTLER-GREENWOOD-WOODSON-ALLEN-KINGMAN-SEDGWICK-HARPER-
SUMNER-COWLEY-ELK-WILSON-NEOSHO-CHAUTAUQUA-MONTGOMERY-LABETTE-
545 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SNOW WILL COVER ALL OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS BOTH TODAY AND
TONIGHT...WITH SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS RESULTING. GREATEST
ACCUMULATIONS...5 TO 8 INCHES...WILL TARGET MUCH OF CENTRAL KANSAS...
WHERE A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 MIDNIGHT. PLEASE
REFER TO THE WINTER STORM WARNING...ISSUED AT 650 AM...FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.

ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS...ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WILL BE
PREVALENT BY 12 MIDNIGHT. A WINETR WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 12 MIDNIGHT. REFER TO THE WEATHER WINTER ADVISORY...ISSUED AT
650 AM...FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS...LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA...
WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES LIKELY BY 12 MIDNIGHT. PLEASE
REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY
FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS EARLY ON
SUNDAY. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MORE DETAILS.
LIGHTER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OR FLURRIES ARE EXPECTED ELSEWHERE. SOME
PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE IS ALSO POSSIBLE NEAR THE KANSAS/OKLAHOMA
BORDER SUNDAY MORNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER...SNOWFALL
ACCUMULATION REPORTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED TODAY THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING.

&&

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR
WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP

KETCHAM/ES

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 17, 6:34 AM CST, 2 hours 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
634 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0630 AM     SNOW             MARION                  38.35N 97.02W
12/17/2005  0.8 INCH         MARION             KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            3/4 OF AN INCH IN MARION.

&&

CDB

Local storm report, Dec 17, 7:09 AM CST, 1 hour 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
709 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0700 AM     SNOW             ROSE HILL               37.57N 97.13W
12/17/2005  2.0 INCH         BUTLER             KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0700 AM     SNOW             EL DORADO               37.82N 96.86W
12/17/2005  0.5 INCH         BUTLER             KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0700 AM     SNOW             DOUGLASS                37.52N 97.01W
12/17/2005  2.0 INCH         BUTLER             KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0700 AM     SNOW             AUGUSTA                 37.69N 96.98W
12/17/2005  2.0 INCH         BUTLER             KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

BDK

Local storm report, Dec 17, 7:11 AM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
711 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0705 AM     SNOW             KINGMAN                 37.65N 98.11W
12/17/2005  1.0 INCH         KINGMAN            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            COUNTYWIDE.

0705 AM     SNOW             WELLINGTON              37.27N 97.40W
12/17/2005  2.5 INCH         SUMNER             KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            2 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE COUNTY.

&&

BDK

Local storm report, Dec 17, 7:18 AM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
718 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0718 AM     SNOW             DOUGLASS                37.52N 97.01W
12/17/2005  1.0 INCH         BUTLER             KS   NWS EMPLOYEE

&&

BDK

Local storm report, Dec 17, 8:02 AM CST, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
802 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0747 AM     SNOW             ELLSWORTH               38.74N 98.23W
12/17/2005  5.2 INCH         ELLSWORTH          KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            5.2 INCHES IN ELLSWORTH

0752 AM     SNOW             2 SSE EXIT 233 ON INTER 38.86N 97.96W
12/17/2005  5.0 INCH         ELLSWORTH          KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            IN EXTREME NORTHEASTERN ELLSWORTH COUNTY.

&&

CDB

Local storm report, Dec 17, 8:12 AM CST, 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
812 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0808 AM     SNOW             WINFIELD                37.27N 96.97W
12/17/2005  1.0 INCH         COWLEY             KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ESTIMATED ABOUT 1 INCH.

0810 AM     SNOW             UDALL                   37.39N 97.12W
12/17/2005  2.0 INCH         COWLEY             KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ESTIMATED 2 INCHES.

&&

CDB

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Ellsworth

When: December 17, 9:00 AM CST to 9:44 PM CST
Where: Ellsworth forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.697, -98.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When: December 17, 12:00 PM CST to 9:44 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.045, -98.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Russell

When: December 17, 12:45 PM CST to 9:44 PM CST
Where: Russell forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.915, -98.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Saline

When: December 17, 7:00 PM CST to 9:44 PM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.784, -97.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Barton

When: December 17, 8:00 PM CST to 9:44 PM CST
Where: Barton forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.479, -98.756 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, December 2005

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: 5484626, 5484627, 5484628, 5484629, 5484717.