A late Spring snow storm took aim on southwest Kansas late Thursday night, April 12th, and did not wind down until late on Friday the 13th. The system started as light rain Thursday night, but changed from rain to snow early on the 13th.
Every event with a place to put it; 22 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS DDC wrote it up.
A late Spring snow storm took aim on southwest Kansas late Thursday night, April 12th, and did not wind down until late on Friday the 13th. The system started as light rain Thursday night, but changed from rain to snow early on the 13th. The snow, heavy at times, was also accompanied by north to north west winds of 25 to 40 mph, which caused considerable drifting in the west part of DDC’s CWA. Cloud to ground lightning was also common during the heaviest snow. The highest snowfall amount reported was 13 inches at Johnson City in Stanton County, with drifts 2 feet high. 10 to 12 inches of snow fell along a southwest to east-northeast axis from the Saunders Elevator in western Stanton County through Ulysses to east of Dodge city. Northwest Hamilton County also reported over 10 inches of snow. 6 to 10 inches of snow fell on either side of the above mentioned axis, including the areas of Scott City, Garden City, Jetmore, Larned, Hugoton and Elkhart. 2 to 4 inches of snow fell on the periphery of the heavier snow, and included the towns of Dighton, Ness City, St. John, near Kinsley, and southeastern Stevens County. 1 to 2 inches fell along the northeastern and southeastern fringes of DDC’s CWA.
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 Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 12, 5:25 AM CST, 6 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 625 AM CDT THU APR 12 2007 .DISCUSSION... ...MAJOR SPRING SNOWSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWEST KANSAS FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT... THE MAIN CHALLENGE IS EVERYTHING REGARDING THE UPCOMING STORM. GOING FCST HAD THE SITUATION HANDLED FAIRLY WELL WITH CATEGORICAL POPS AND A WINTER STORM WATCH IN PLACE. SEVERAL THINGS STOOD OUT AS IMPRESSIVE TO ME IN THE 12/00Z MAP ANALYSIS...THE MAIN THING WAS THE LARGE SCALE VERY IMPRESSIVE DEEP BAROCLINIC ZONE LEFT BEHIND FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES CYCLONE. IT WAS COLD ALOFT IN THE WAKE OF THIS STORM OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH THE KDDC SOUNDING AT -27/-9C AT H5/7 RESPECTIVELY...VERY IMPRESSIVE FOR MID-APRIL. WHILE THIS FIRST MAJOR CYCLONE SCOURED THE MOISTURE WELL TO THE SOUTH...IT DID NOT PUNISH THE GULF OF MEXICO...AND SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED 60S DEWPOINTS AT BROWNSVILLE AND UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S DEWPOINTS OVER THE ADJACENT GULF. OUR BIG STORM WAS DIGGING NICELY INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EARLY THIS MORNING...AND ONCE THE MID-UPPER JET STREAK APPROACHES THE BASE OF THIS TROUGH...LOW LEVEL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE GREAT OVER THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS. GULF MOISTURE WILL RACE NORTH LATE TODAY INTO TONIGHT...WITH VIGOROUS WARM ADVECTION GETTING UNDERWAY AFTER 00Z THIS EVENING. ELEVATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE MID TO LATE EVENING HOURS AND MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN CWA. THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SEVERE HAIL ADJACENT THE OKLAHOMA COUNTIES ESPECIALLY. SWODY1 HAS SEVERAL OF OUR SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES WITHIN THEIR 06Z OUTLOOKED 15 PERCENT HAIL THREAT WHICH I CANNOT ARGUE WITH CONSIDERING THE SIGNIFICANT ISENTROPIC LIFT/MOISTURE ADVECTION. WITH RESPECT TO THE MODELS...THE NAM PROG DOES NOT LOOK BAD AT ALL WHEN COMPARED AGAINST THE MORE RELIABLE UKMET/ECMWF/CANADIAN GLOBAL MODELS WITH RESPECT TO MID LEVEL LOW STRENGTH/TRACK AND SUBSEQUENT LOW LEVEL FEATURES...THUS AM MORE APT TO BELIEVE THE HIGHER RESOLUTION FIELDS IN THE 3RD AND 4TH PERIODS THAN USUAL. NO MATTER HOW ONE SLICES THE MODEL FIELDS...THERE WILL BE A) SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION AND B) COLD ENOUGH THERMAL FIELDS TO SUPPORT SNOW. THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF THESE TWO THINGS COMING TOGETHER WILL BE OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA...AS HIGHER ELEVATION REALLY HELPS IN RAIN VS. SNOW IN THE SPRING SEASON. ALL THE MODELS SHOW H5 AND SURFACE LOWS TAKING THE GOLDEN PATH FOR SOUTHWEST KANSAS. THE COMBINATION OF UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS, SURFACE RESPONSE, AVAILABLE MOISTURE, AND WINTER TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY MAKE THIS STORM AT LEAST SOMEWHAT COMPARABLE TO THE DECEMBER 29-30 STORM IN TERMS OF WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT WINTER PRECIPITATION (MINUS THE ICE THANKFULLY). RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CHANGE TO SNOW AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS GRADUALLY DURING THE MORNING HOURS. BY MIDDAY...AS THE UPPER CYCLONE APPROACHES THE TEXAS PANHANDLE...THE RAIN/SNOW LINE WILL OOZE A BIT FASTER EAST...WITH RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW IN THE HAYS- GARDEN CITY AREAS PERHAPS AS EARLY AS NOON PER UKMET FIELDS...AND MAYBE AN HOUR OR TWO LATER IN DODGE CITY. WITH SO MUCH AVAILABLE MOISTURE, INSTABILITY, LARGE SCALE FORCING, AND MESOSCALE FORCING...PRECIPITATION RATES COULD BE EXTREME FOR SEVERAL HOURS AROUND RAIN/SNOW CHANGE-OVER TIME. THERE COULD BE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE SNOW MAY PILE UP TO THE TUNE OF 2 INCHES OR MORE PER HOUR...DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT IS MID-APRIL. ONE THING THAT WILL HELP SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FOR THIS UNUSUAL EVENT WILL BE THE DIURNAL TIMING OF THIS STORM FOR MOST OF OUR AREA. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SNOW MAY HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER SUNSET...PARTICULARLY OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CWA. AS THE STORM WINDS UP FRIDAY EVENING OVER WESTERN/NORTHWESTERN OK...SURFACE WINDS WILL PICK UP AND MAY CREATE A BLOWING SNOW PROBLEM...HOWEVER THE HIGH WATER CONTENT OF THE SNOW MAY LIMIT THIS. SNOW SHOULD TAPER OFF TOWARDS SUNRISE SATURDAY MORNING WITH THE UPPER LOW BEING POSITIONED OVER SOUTHEAST KS AROUND 12Z SAT. GFS MODEL LOOKS WAY TOO FAST AND SHEARED OUT AND WAS NOT USED IN THIS FCST...SINCE ITS SOLUTION WAS AN OUTLIER COMPARED TO UKMET/GFS/CANADIAN AND DOESNT NECESSARILY FIT THE CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THESE TYPES OF STRONG LOWS. SNOW AMOUNTS? THINK THERE WILL BE WIDESPREAD 4 TO 7 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW NORTHWEST OF MEADE TO LARNED...INCLUDING DODGE CITY. ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF THE 700MB TRACK WHERE NOSE OF POTENTIAL INSTABILITY REACHES THE COLD AIR AND SNOW RATES ARE HIGHEST...I CERTAINLY ENVISION A SWATH OF GREATER THAN 10 INCHES... BUT IT WILL BE LARGELY MESOSCALE ASPECTS OF THE SYSTEM DICTATING THIS. STORM TOTAL LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION WITH THIS STORM WILL LIKELY BE NEAR 2 INCHES OVER A LARGE PORTION OF THE DDC CWA...WITH SOME LOCALLY 2.5 OR HIGHER HITS...FROM THE COMBINATION OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH RAIN THEN THE SNOW. DAYS 3-7... SNOWFALL ACROSS CWA SHOULD BE ENDING BY SATURDAY MORNING WEST TO EAST. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS FA DURING THE DAYTIME. WEAK WARM ADVECTION WILL RETURN TO FA BUT SNOWPACK WILL HOLD TEMPERATURES DOWN A BIT. CURRENT FORECAST COVERS THIS WELL AND LITTLE ADJUSTMENT WILL BE NEEDED. UPPER RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD ON OVER PLAINS THROUGH WEEKEND AS EXITING END OF WEEK STORM HEADS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND NEXT UPPER SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN US. CANADIAN/ECMWF HAVE SIMILAR TRACKS WITH UPPER LOW BY MONDAY/TUESDAY TIMEFRAME BUT TRENDS ARE TAKING SYSTEM A BIT FURTHER SOUTH. WILL ADD A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN SHOWERS IN MONDAY NIGHT TIME PERIOD WITH SOME H85 MOISTURE WORKING AROUND DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW. AT THIS TIME, TEMPERATURES LOOK WARM ENOUGH TO ALLOW ALL LIQUID TO FALL WITH MIDWEEK SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, H85 TEMPERATURES REMAIN ON THE COOLER SIDE ACROSS CWA THROUGH WEEK WITH READINGS GENERALLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. ALL IN ALL, NO MAJOR CHANGES ARE PLANNED IN THE EXTENDED PERIODS. && .AVIATION... DISCUSSION FOR 12Z TAFS. WEATHER WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS PERIOD. AS STORM SYSTEM MOVES CLOSER TO THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS, AN ABUNDANT AMOUNT OF MOISTURE WILL ALLOW DECKS TO LOWER AND VISIBILITIES TO REDUCE. AT PRESENT, HIGH CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO FILTER INTO FA THIS AM. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THROUGH EVENING BEFORE FALLING TO MVFR OCCURS (AROUND 06Z AT DDC/GCK AND A BIT LATER AT HYS). TOWARD END OF TAF PERIOD AT DDC/GCK, SHOULD SEE DECKS/VISIBILITIES IN THE IFR TO LIFR RANGE INCREASED MOISTURE WILL BE PRESENT. RAIN SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE LIKELY. HAVE INCLUDED A CB GROUP AT SITES AS CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORM HITTING SITE AT ANY GIVEN TIME IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE. DO THINK THAT VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED AT GCK/DDC DUE TO MODERATE RAINFALL TOWARD THE END OF PERIOD. COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL BE VERY NEARBY TO HYS BY 12Z FRI. AT THE TIME, WILL LEAVE HYS AS RAIN BUT LATER TAF ISSUANCES COULD HAVE TO INCLUDE RAIN/SNOW OR ALL SNOW AT SITE. ACROSS DDC/GCK, PRECIP SHOULD REMAIN ALL LIQUID FOR THIS PERIOD. CHANGEOVER TO ALL SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL MIDDAY FRIDAY AT THESE LOCATIONS. IN ADDITION TO LOWER DECKS/PRECIP, WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST THIS AM. BY AFTERNOON/EVENING, GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL BEING TO SHIFT TO A MORE EASTERLY TO NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION. SUSTAINED WINDS TO 20-25 KTS WITH GUSTS OVER 30KTS WILL BE LIKELY THROUGH PERIOD. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 52 37 42 31 / 20 90 90 90 GCK 54 35 37 28 / 30 90 90 90 EHA 57 40 43 28 / 30 90 90 80 LBL 57 41 45 29 / 30 90 90 90 HYS 50 36 39 30 / 20 90 90 90 P28 53 44 47 34 / 10 90 90 90 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR KSZ030-031-043>045-061>063-074-075. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR KSZ046-064>066-076>079-084>087. && FN25/30/30
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 454 AM CDT THU APR 12 2007 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-131000- TREGO-ELLIS-SCOTT-LANE-NESS-RUSH-HAMILTON-KEARNY-FINNEY-HODGEMAN- PAWNEE-STAFFORD-STANTON-GRANT-HASKELL-GRAY-FORD-EDWARDS-KIOWA- PRATT-MORTON-STEVENS-SEWARD-MEADE-CLARK-COMANCHE-BARBER- 454 AM CDT THU APR 12 2007 /354 AM MDT THU APR 12 2007/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS...SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER FAR NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO THROUGH FAR SOUTHWEST KANSAS EARLY THIS EVENING. WHILE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED...THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT ATMOSPHERIC LIFTING AT THE NOSE OF A VERY STRONG LOW LEVEL JET TO INITIATE ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL. THIS THREAT WILL REMAIN MAINLY SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER AND WEST OF A DODGE CITY TO ASHLAND LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A MAJOR SPRING SNOWSTORM WILL IMPACT ALMOST THE ENTIRE SOUTHWEST KANSAS REGION FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. WIDESPREAD SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 9 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS ALSO LIKELY NORTHWEST OF A MEADE TO LARNED LINE...ALTHOUGH IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHERE THIS HIGHEST AXIS OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL SET UP. REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE PRODUCT FOR MORE INFORMATION AND STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE WEATHER SOURCE FOR THE LATEST ON THIS APPROACHING SNOW STORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE ALERT TO POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING MAINLY SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 283. && FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC UMSCHEID
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
22 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Twelve to fifteen inches of snow fell across the county.
Eight inches of snow fell in Scott City.
Seven inches of snow fell 7 miles west-southwest of Dighton.
Ten inches of snow fell in southwest Ness county.
Nine to twelve inches of snow fell across the county.
Six to nine inches of snow fell across the county.
Nine to 11.5 inches of snow fell across the county.
Snowfall reports of 10 to 15 inches were common across the county.
Eight inches of snow fell in Sublette.
Eight to nine inches of snow fell across the county.
Eight inches of snow fell 4 miles northwest of Jetmore.
Ten inches of snow at the National Weather Service office in Dodge City.
Six inches of snow fell 10 miles south-southeast of Larned.
Nine inches of snow fell 4 miles west of Bellefont.
Six inches of snow fell across the western part of the county.
Seven inches of snow fell 14 miles west of Richfield.
Six inches of snow fell across the county.
Six inches of snow fell 14 miles north and 4 miles west of Liberal.
Six inches of snow fell across the northwest part of the county.
Six inches of snow was reported 3 miles south-southwest of Haviland.
Snowfall of 6.5 inches was reported in Coldwater.
Seven inches of snow fell 3 miles west of Pratt.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, April 2007
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: 30500, 30497, 30498, 30499, 30501, 30502, 30503, 30504, 30505, 30507, 30508, 30509, 30510, 30511, 30512, 30514, 30515, 30516, 30518, 30519, 30520, 30522.