Kansas, 2005

Winter Weather in Kansas, February 8, 2005

February 8, 2005 · NWS TOP · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

A widespread winter weather mix of snow sleet and freezing rain brought dangerous travel conditions. Many accidents with some injuries (indirect) were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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
17

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.

A widespread winter weather mix of snow sleet and freezing rain brought dangerous travel conditions. Many accidents with some injuries (indirect) were reported. A few schools were even closed due to the icy roads. Snowfall totals were generally in the range of two to five inches...although some isolated locations received nearly six inches. Ice accumulations were under a tenth of an inch.

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 8, 3:46 AM CST, 2 hours 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 8, 3:46 AM CST, 2 hours 14 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
346 AM CST TUE FEB 8 2005

.DISCUSSION...
MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS THE EVOLUTION OF THE STORM SYSTEM TODAY AND
THIS EVENING.

THE NAM AND GFS HAVE COME INTO A REASONABLE CONSENSUS WITH THE
SHORTWAVE THAT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY.
8Z WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS THIS WAVE MOVING TOWARDS THE FOUR
CORNERS AREA. WITH CLOUDY SKIES AND CONTINUED WEAK CAA...DO NOT
EXPECT MUCH OF A WARM UP WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING IN THE 20S FOR
THE MOST PART. THEREFORE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE THE PRIMARY
PRECIPITATION FALLING ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. THERE STILL LOOKS LIKE
THERE WILL BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING DRIZZLE BEFORE THE SNOW.
PATCHY AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING AS WAA
PROVIDES SOME WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT. HOWEVER AS MID LEVEL MOISTURE
MOVES IN AHEAD OF THE SHORTWAVE...ICE CRYSTAL GROWTH SHOULD BECOME
MORE DOMINATE IN THE COLUMN AND THE DRIZZLE SHOULD SWITCH OVER TO
SNOW MID TO LATE MORNING.

THE BEST DYNAMICS LOOK TO MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA BETWEEN 18
AND 00Z TODAY. THINK THAT WIDESPREAD 2 TO 4 INCH ACCUMULATIONS OF
SNOW ARE LIKELY TODAY. BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOW SOME INDICATIONS OF
CSI ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. THINK THIS MAY BE
THE REASON THE MODELS HAVE TRENDED A LITTLE HIGHER WITH THE QPF
ACROSS EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. WITH DECENT FORCING AND SOME INSTABILITY
POTENTIALLY IN THE AREA...THINK 3 TO 6 INCHES IS NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION FOR AREAS SOUTH OF I-70. THIS ALSO FITS WITH THE GARCIA
METHOD WITH MIXING RATIOS AROUND 3 G/KG. THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF
THE WAVE AND ONLY A 6 HOUR WINDOW FOR MODERATE TO BRIEFLY HEAVY
SNOWFALL GIVES PAUSE TO GOING ANY HIGHER WITH THE SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS. IF CSI BANDING DOES SET UP THIS AFTERNOON...IT IS NOT
OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT LOCALIZED AREAS COULD BE CLOSER TO THE 6
INCH RANGE. WILL CONTINUE THE ADVISORY FOR NOW. WILL ALSO EXTENDED
THE TIMING OF THE ADVISORY ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
TO CONTINUE UNTIL 9 PM. BY THEN MID LEVEL DRYING MOVES IN ON THE
BACK SIDE OF THE SHORTWAVE.

HAVE MADE LITTLE CHANGES TO THE REST OF THE FORECAST. DRY AIR
INTRUSION FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY SHOULD PREVENT ANY PRECIP.
UPPER LEVEL CONVERGENCE AND SUBSIDENCE FROM THE LEFT ENTRANCE REGION
OF THE UPPER JET SHOULD HELP FOR SKIES TO CLEAR OUT WEDNESDAY NIGHT
AND THURSDAY. EXPECT EVEN A PARTIAL CLEARING FROM WEST TO EAST
TONIGHT. WITH THIS IN MIND HAVE KEPT OR ADJUSTED MORNING LOWS INTO
THE TEENS FOR MOST AREAS. NEW SNOW COVER SHOULD ALSO HELP LOWS FALL
INTO THE TEENS. WENT WELL BELOW GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS WEDNESDAY AND WAS
SOMEWHAT CONSERVATIVE WITH A WARMING TREND INTO THURSDAY. PREVIOUS
FORECAST HIGH OF MID 30S FOR THURSDAY SEEMS REASONABLE IF THERE IS
FULL SUNSHINE.

POPS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.
THERE IS A BIT MORE UNCERTAINTY IN THE 500 MB PATTERN FOR THIS TIME
FRAME. THE GFS IS A LITTLE STRONGER AND SLOWER WITH A CLIPPER
SHORTWAVE LATE IN THE WEEK WHILE THE NAM IS MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH
THE NORTHERN STREAM. DID NOT CHANGE THE FORECAST EXPECTING SOME SORT
OF FEATURE TO MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS.

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 6 PM
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NORTHEAST...EAST CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 9 PM

&&

WOLTERS
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 8, 5:02 AM CST, 58 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Anderson

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Anderson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.214, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Brown

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.827, -95.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Coffey

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Coffey forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.237, -95.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dickinson

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.867, -97.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Douglas

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.885, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Franklin

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.565, -95.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Geary

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Geary forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.002, -96.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jackson

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.417, -95.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.236, -95.383 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lyon

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.456, -96.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Morris

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Morris forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.687, -96.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Osage

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Osage forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.652, -95.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Ottawa

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Ottawa forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.133, -97.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pottawatomie

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Pottawatomie forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.379, -96.342 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Riley

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Riley forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.297, -96.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Shawnee

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Shawnee forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.042, -95.756 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Wabaunsee

When
February 8, 6:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Wabaunsee forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.953, -96.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, February 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: 5437625, 5437626, 5437627, 5437628, 5437629, 5437630, 5437942, 5437943, 5437944, 5437945, 5437946, 5437947, 5437948, 5437949, 5437950, 5437951, 5437952.