A prolonged winter storm with freezing rain, sleet and snow started the morning of January 12th and persisted through the evening of January 14th. Light snow and freezing started in Southeast Kansas early in the morning on the 12th and eventually spread to South Central Kansas by the time the morning commute started on the 12th.
Every event with a place to put it; 25 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 ICT wrote it up.
A prolonged winter storm with freezing rain, sleet and snow started the morning of January 12th and persisted through the evening of January 14th. Light snow and freezing started in Southeast Kansas early in the morning on the 12th and eventually spread to South Central Kansas by the time the morning commute started on the 12th. Wintry weather started in central Kansas in the mid-morning hours of the 13th. The wintry mix of precipitation was off and on across these areas before switching to primarily sleet and really increasing in intensity early on the 14th. Much of South Central and Southeast Kansas received at least an inch of sleet. The heaviest amounts were found from Sumner County, which saw 3.5 inches of sleet, to Southeast Kansas, where 2 to 3 inches of sleet fell. Central Kansas was spared the brunt of this winter storm with most of that part of Kansas seeing a quarter to three-quarters of an inch of sleet. After the storm was over, temperatures dropped into the single digits above zero. This caused the sleet to solidify into a sheet of solid white ice that resembled very dense foam. This made cleaning up after the storm extremely difficult. Fortunately, although there were numerous fender benders, there were no major traffic accidents reported. One injury accident occurred near the intersection of I-235 and I-135 in south Wichita. A man lost control of his car, hit a guardrail and came to rest in the outer lane. The man was transported to the hospital but his injuries were not serious.
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 Jan 11, 9:27 PM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 927 PM CST THU JAN 11 2007 .UPDATE... WILL UPDATE TO TAKE OUT MENTION OF FREEZING DRIZZLE TONIGHT AND MAKE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO TEMPS. LATEST CONDITIONS AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT THE CHANCES FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE ARE DWINDLING. SEEMS TO BE TOO MUCH DRY AIR ACCOMPANYING THE COLD SURGE WHICH SHOULD PREVENT DRIZZLE. INSTEAD WE SHOULD JUST CONTINUE AN OVERCAST DECK AT BETWEEN 1000-2000FT. WILL ALSO UPDATE TEMPS AND DEW POINTS TO KEEP UP WITH CURRENT TRENDS. AFTER LOOKING AT THE LATEST NAM/WRF...AM THINKING A FREEZING RAIN OR DRIZZLE EPISODE IS LOOKING LESS LIKELY FRIDAY FOR AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF THE TURNPIKE. THE BEST MOISTURE TRANSPORT ALONG THE 300K SURFACE LOOKS TO STAY SOUTHEAST OF THE TURNPIKE...WHERE A BETTER SHOT AT FREEZING RAIN WILL EXIST TOMORROW. HOWEVER FOR NOW WILL KEEP CURRENT ADVISORY AND LET MIDNIGHT SHIFT TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AFTER ADDITIONAL MODELS COME IN. LAWSON && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 549 PM CST THU JAN 11 2007/ UPDATE... WILL HAVE TO UPDATE AS WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AND WINTER STORM WATCH PRODUCT EXPIRATION IS AT 1Z. THE ONLY CHANGE TO THESE HEADLINES WILL BE TO ADD LABETTE COUNTY TO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR TOMORROW. RIGHT NOW LABETTE IS SURROUNDED BY HEADLINES AND FEEL THAT IT HAS AS GOOD A CHANCE AS SURROUNDING COUNTIES TO PICK UP SOME FREEZING RAIN LATE FRI AFTERNOON THAT MAY CAUSE SOME TRAVEL ISSUES. LAWSON PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 302 PM CST THU JAN 11 2007/ DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS ARE PRECIPITATION TYPES AND AMOUNTS THROUGH SUNDAY. TONIGHT: SURFACE ANALYSIS AT 20Z SHOWS THE COLD FRONT HAS MADE IT SOUTHEAST THROUGH HUTCHINSON...SALINA...AND MEDICINE LODGE. TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED UP INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 60S TODAY...INCLUDING A RECORD HIGH AT WICHITA. LOOKING BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE DAKOTAS AT THIS TIME...RAPID CITY IS AT 5 DEGREES...SO THE ARCTIC AIR IS ON ITS WAY. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DECREASE AS THE LOW CONTINUES TO SLIDE SOUTHEAST AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WEAKENS. BREEZY WINDS WILL PICK BACK UP BEHIND THE FRONT...HOWEVER THEY SHOULD STAY BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. WILL CANCEL THE WIND ADVISORY WITH THE FORECAST ISSUANCE THIS AFTERNOON. FRIDAY-SATURDAY: PRECIPITATION IS GOING TO OVERSPREAD THE FORECAST AREA...ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON FRIDAY. EXPECT THAT MOST OF THIS PRECIPITATION WILL BE VERY LIGHT...BUT WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING DURING THE DAY INTO THE MIDDLE 20S PRECIPITATION TYPE WILL BE FREEZING RAIN. COLDER OVERALL FORECAST SOUNDINGS OVER CENTRAL KANSAS SHOULD KEEP FREEZING RAIN AT A MINIMUM...BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION CHANGES OVER TO SNOW. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR FRIDAY STILL LOOKS REASONABLE...WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIGHT ENOUGH TO CAUSE MINIMAL PROBLEMS ON TREES...POWER LINES AND ROADS. ROAD/GROUND TEMPERATURES ARE WARM ENOUGH AT THE START...WITH THE VERY LIGHT PRECIPITATION TO HOPEFULLY KEEP CONDITIONS FROM GETTING TOO BAD. FAR SOUTHEAST KANSAS SHOULD STAY WARM ENOUGH TO KEEP THE PRECIPITATION ALL LIQUID AT LEAST THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY ON SATURDAY...LIKELY CAUSING MORE PROBLEMS FOR TRAVEL AND TREES/POWER LINES. CENTRAL KANSAS WILL CONTINUE TO GET LIGHT SNOW...WHILE SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS WILL SEE MORE FREEZING RAIN. SUNDAY: PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE ALL SNOW BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR SUNDAY EVENING. BEST MOISTURE TRANSPORT AND DYNAMICS CONTINUE TO BE OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON SUNDAY...SO EXPECT THIS AREA WILL SEE THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF ICE ACCUMULATION. GREATER THAN ONE-QUARTER INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND GREATER THAN ONE-HALF INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. WILL CONTINUE TO FINE TUNE THE FORECAST AND DECIDE WHAT HEADLINES ARE WARRANTED IN PLACE OF THE WINTER STORM WATCH. BY THE END OF THE EVENT...CENTRAL KANSAS COULD SEE 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW. EXPECT THAT IT WILL BE MAINLY LIGHT SNOW IN THIS REGION...HOWEVER THE DURATION WILL LEAD TO A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. MONDAY-THURSDAY: PRECIPITATION SHOULD HAVE EXITED THE AREA BY MONDAY MORNING...LEAVING THE REGION IN ARCTIC AIR UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN...KEEPING THE REGION DRY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE NEXT FRONT COMES THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY...SO WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES DURING THIS TIME. TEMPERATURES SHOULD MODERATE FOR THE END OF THE WEEK...HOWEVER IT WILL DEPEND HOW MUCH SNOW COVER REMAINS ON THE GROUND AND WHERE IT IS BY THAT TIME. SCHRECK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 25 25 15 22 / 10 40 70 80 HUTCHINSON 21 21 14 20 / 10 30 60 80 NEWTON 22 22 14 21 / 20 40 70 80 ELDORADO 24 24 16 23 / 20 60 70 80 WINFIELD-KWLD 29 29 18 25 / 20 60 70 80 RUSSELL 14 17 10 14 / 10 30 50 80 GREAT BEND 16 18 11 16 / 10 30 50 80 SALINA 17 20 14 16 / 10 30 50 80 MCPHERSON 19 20 13 18 / 10 30 60 80 COFFEYVILLE 36 39 23 26 / 40 80 70 80 CHANUTE 30 31 21 25 / 40 80 70 80 IOLA 29 29 20 25 / 40 80 70 80 PARSONS-KPPF 34 36 22 26 / 40 80 70 80 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY FOR KSZ051>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 934 PM CST THU JAN 11 2007 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-122245- 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- 934 PM CST THU JAN 11 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...OVERNIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SOME LIGHT FREEZING RAIN FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE OVERNIGHT. LITTLE IF ANY ICE ACCUMULATION CAN BE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. SOME ICE ACCUMULATION FROM FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING DRIZZLE IS EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS...WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY OR WINTER STORM WATCH FOR MORE DETAILS. AS THE ARCTIC AIR INCREASES ITS GRIP ON THE REGION...WIND CHILLS WILL DIP BELOW ZERO DURING THE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING FROM FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE AREA. IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEKEND...YOU SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST OUTLOOKS...WATCHES...ADVISORIES...AND ANY WARNINGS THAT MAY BE ISSUED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP SCHRECK/KED/LAWSON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 sleet, 10 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Three inches storm total sleet accumulation 5 miles southwest of Parsons.
Three inches storm total sleet accumulation 2 miles south of Iola.
Three inches storm total sleet accumulation at Eureka.
Two and a half inches storm total sleet accumulation 14 miles northeast of Independence.
Two inches storm total sleet accumulation at Erie.
Two inches storm total sleet accumulation at Fredonia.
Two inches storm total sleet accumulation at Yates Center.
Two inches storm total sleet accumulation at Sedan.
One and a quarter inches storm total sleet accumulation at Elk Falls.
Three and a half inches storm total sleet accumulation at Wellington.
Two and a half inches storm total sleet accumulation at Arkansas City.
Two and a quarter inches storm total sleet accumulation at El Dorado.
One half inch storm total sleet accumulation at Marion.
One inch storm total sleet accumulation at the NWS office in Wichita. One injury accident occurred near the intersection of I-235 and I-135 in south Wichita. A man lost control of his car, hit a guardrail and came to rest in the outer lane. The man was transported to the hospital but his injuries were not serious.
One and a half inches total sleet accumulation at Newton.
One and a quarter inches total sleet accumulation at Hutchinson.
One inch sleet accumulation at Anthony.
One quarter inch sleet accumulation 12 miles east of Kingman.
Two inches storm total sleet accumulation at Moundridge.
One inch total sleet accumulation at Ellsworth.
One inch sleet accumulation at Lyons.
Three quarters of an inch sleet accumulation at Salina.
One quarter inch sleet accumulation at Russell.
One quarter inch sleet accumulation at Great Bend.
Measured a combined sleet and snow total of 1.0 inch.
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, January 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: 11643, 11644, 11646, 11649, 11660, 11663, 11665, 11667, 11671, 11639, 11651, 11653, 11673, 11675, 11694, 11695, 11698, 11701, 11656, 11697, 11699, 11700, 11702, 11703, 11705.