A two pronged winter storm moved across the region during the period of December 6th through December the 8th, 2009. The initial system on December 6th spread a thin layer of freezing drizzle across portions of Central Kansas, which produced numerous automobile accidents with one leading to a death.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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 two pronged winter storm moved across the region during the period of December 6th through December the 8th, 2009. The initial system on December 6th spread a thin layer of freezing drizzle across portions of Central Kansas, which produced numerous automobile accidents with one leading to a death. A more potent low pressure area tracked along the Kansas/Oklahoma border on December 7th and 8th, 2009. This system led to a band of heavy snow across Central Kansas with a band of 6 to 12 inches along a line from Great Bend, Kansas to Salina, Kansas.
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 6, 5:55 AM CST, 6 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 555 AM CST SUN DEC 6 2009 .AVIATION...12Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU EXPECT DETERIORATING AVIATION CONDITIONS FROM KRSL TO KICT TO KCNU RESPECTIVELY...AS THE DAY PROGRESSES AS A WINTER STORM SYSTEM MOVES ALONG THE KS/OK BORDER. THE COMBINATION OF THIS SYSTEM AND A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY OOZING SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL KS WILL LEAD TO CEILINGS SLOWLY DROPPING TO MVFR BETWEEN 15Z-23Z/SUN AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SATURATES THE LOWER LAYERS. THE LOW LAYERS SATURATING WILL ALSO LEAD TO AREAS OF FZDZ DEVELOPING ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KS BETWEEN 18Z/SUN-00Z/MON AS SFC TEMPS ACROSS CENTRAL KS REMAIN BELOW FREEZING TODAY. THIS FZDZ CHANCE WILL EVENTUALLY CHANGEOVER TO -SN AS THE LATE AFTERNOON CONTINUES FOR KRSL/KSLN AND KHUT AS COLDER AIR CONTINUES TO WORK INTO THE AREA. EXPECT MAINLY A DZ CHANGING TO LIGHT SNOW CHANCE FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE KICT AND KCNU TAF SITES WHERE SLIGHTLY WARMER SFC TEMPS WILL BE LOCATED DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. KETCHAM && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 313 AM CST SUN DEC 6 2009/ DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CONCERN WILL BE THE FIRST WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE REGION ON MON NIGHT-TUE. TODAY-TONIGHT: COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY MAKING SLOW PROGRESS INTO NORTH CENTRAL KS AT THIS TIME WITH 290-295K ISENTROPIC LIFT BEGINNING TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE PULLING OUT OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. THIS 290-295K ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE TO SATURATE THE LOW LAYERS AS THE MORNING HOURS CONTINUE...WITH SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGESTING ENOUGH SATURATION FOR DRIZZLE FORMATION BY SOMETIME IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS SATURATION WILL CONTINUE TO SATURATE THE LOW LAYERS...FIRST IN CENTRAL KS...CLOSEST TO THE COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY...AND THEN GRADUALLY FURTHER SOUTH INTO SOUTH CENTRAL KS BY LATE AFTERNOON. THE LOW LEVEL SATURATION WILL LEAD TO DRIZZLE DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL KS AND EVENTUALLY SOUTH CENTRAL KS AS THE DAYTIME HOURS PROGRESS. COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY OOZING INTO CENTRAL KS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL KS TODAY...SO ANY DRIZZLE THAT FALLS WILL FREEZE ON CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THIS COLD AIR WILL BECOME DEEP ENOUGH FOR THE FREEZING DRIZZLE TO CHANGEOVER TO LIGHT SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON WHICH WILL CERTAINLY CAUSE TRAVEL HEADACHES WITH SLICK SPOTS ON ELEVATED OR UNTREATED SURFACES. SO WILL KEEP CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY GOING FOR CENTRAL KS...BUT WILL EXTEND IT INTO THE EVENING HOURS. FURTHER SOUTH...SURFACE TEMPS WILL BE CRITICAL AS SURFACE BAROCLINIC ZONE SETS UP ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH FREEZING LINE...GENERALLY JUST NW OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE...WITH SHALLOW COLD AIR SEEPING INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL KS. THINK PRECIP WILL START OUT IN SRN KS AS DRIZZLE AND EVENTUALLY CHANGEOVER TO LIGHT SNOW AS COLDER AIR SHIFTS EASTWARD INTO THE AREA. SHORT RANGE MODELS COMING IN A LITTLE SLOWER WITH SATURATION...AND THUS KEEP THE MIXED PRECIP AROUND A LITTLE LONGER INTO THE EVENING HOURS...SO WILL EXTEND ADVISORY INTO THE EVENING. THIS FIRST SHORTWAVE WILL FINALLY PULL THE COLDER AIR ACROSS THE WHOLE FORECAST AREA DURING THE EVENING HOURS...BRINGING DRIER AIR INTO THE FORECAST AREA AS WELL...BRINGING THE PRECIP CHANCES TO AN END. KETCHAM MON-TUE NIGHT: THESE PERIODS WILL BE THE MOST ACTIVE THROUGH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE AS THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM OF THE SEASON IMPACTS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. BY 00Z TUE THE MAIN PIECE OF UPPER ENERGY WILL STILL BE BACK OVER CENTRAL CA AS RETURN FLOW STARTS TO GET CRANKED UP ACROSS THE PLAINS. PRECIP WILL START MON NIGHT AS DEEP/PERSISTENT ISENTROPIC LIFT COMMENCES IN THE 285-295K LAYERS. BY 12Z TUE THE MAIN VORT MAX WILL BE APPROACHING THE FOUR CORNERS REGION WITH THIS FEATURE KICKING OUT INTO THE PLAINS BY AROUND 00Z WED. AT THIS POINT THE GFS IS SLIGHTLY FASTER SWINGING IT ACROSS THE AREA BUT THERE IS PLENTY OF MODEL CONSENSUS THAT NORTH CENTRAL KS/SOUTHERN NEBRASKA WILL GET THE BRUNT OF THE SNOW. WHILE THIS SYSTEM DOES MOVE OUT FAIRLY QUICKLY AND NEVER CLOSES OFF...THE BAND OF HEAVY SNOW OVER CENTRAL KS WILL BE THE RESULT OF A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SNOW...STARTING MON NIGHT WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT AND ENDING TUE EVENING AS THE DEFORMATION ZONE SWINGS THROUGH. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SOME HIGHER SNOWFALL RATES WILL BE TUE AFTERNOON WITH BOTH THE GFS AND NAM SHOWING SOME CSI BANDING POTENTIAL. AS FAR AS PRECIP TYPE GOES CENTRAL KS SHOULD STAY IN ALL SNOW THROUGHOUT WITH WICHITA IN THE CLASSIC TRANSITION ZONE. WOULD ALSO NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE RAIN AS THE MAIN PRECIP TYPE DURING PART OF THE DAY TUE WITH THE SURFACE LOW PLACEMENT ALONG THE KS-OK BORDER. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE...STRONG NORTH WINDS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THIS SYSTEM MAY CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING. WITH ALL OF THIS FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH AT THIS POINT TO THROW A FEW COUNTIES IN A WINTER STORM WATCH...ESPECIALLY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR BLOWING AND DRIFTING. WED-SAT: BY 12Z WED THIS SYSTEM WILL BE APPROACHING THE OHIO VALLEY AS A BROAD UPPER TROUGH REMAINS SITUATED OVER THE PLAINS. THIS WILL RESULT IN WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPS FOR BOTH WED AND THU. THE UPPER FLOW WILL START TO FLATTEN OUT FOR FRI AND SAT WHICH SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO MODERATE SOME. LAWSON AVIATION...06Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU THE TERMINAL CONTINUING TO DRAW THE MOST ATTENTION IS KRSL TOWARD WHICH A SE-SAGGING COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO APPROACH. AT 9 PM CST THE FRONT CURVED FROM KLNK SW TO KHLC TO JUST S OF KGLD. STILL EXPECT THE FRONT TO CONTINUE DRIFTING SE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT WITH THE BOUNDARY LIKELY STALLING IN A SW-NE MANNER FROM THE TX PANHANDLE THROUGH CNTRL KS TO EXTREME NW MO AS THE LEAD MID-LVL SHORTWAVE SHEARS WHILE SPRINTING NE ACROSS KS. AS SUCH NOW BELIEVE THAT MVFR CIGS WILL NOT REACH KRSL TIL BETWEEN 06/12Z & 06/15Z WHEN MOIST UPSLOPE/ISENTROPIC ASCENT SHOULD INCREASE MARKEDLY. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BEAR CLOSE MONITORING THRU SUN AFTERNOON AS ITS SE PROGRESS WILL DEPEND HEAVILY ON THE STRENGTH OF THE NEXT MID-LVL SHORTWAVE EJECTING E ACROSS THE SRN ROCKIES. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 36 20 32 25 / 30 20 10 40 HUTCHINSON 32 15 29 22 / 50 30 10 50 NEWTON 35 17 31 23 / 40 30 10 50 ELDORADO 37 18 33 25 / 30 30 10 40 WINFIELD-KWLD 39 20 35 28 / 30 20 10 40 RUSSELL 26 11 23 18 / 80 20 10 70 GREAT BEND 28 12 25 19 / 70 20 10 70 SALINA 30 16 25 19 / 70 40 10 60 MCPHERSON 32 16 28 21 / 60 40 10 60 COFFEYVILLE 42 24 38 28 / 30 30 0 30 CHANUTE 39 23 35 27 / 30 30 0 30 IOLA 38 23 34 27 / 30 40 0 30 PARSONS-KPPF 41 22 37 28 / 30 30 0 30 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR KSZ032-033-047>050. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT FOR KSZ032-033-047>049. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 520 AM CST SUN DEC 6 2009 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-071130- 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- 520 AM CST SUN DEC 6 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A MIXTURE OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT SNOW WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. PLEASE SEE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. IN ADDITION...A BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS TODAY THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A MUCH STRONGER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE PLAINS FOR MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL BE LIKELY FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS WITH A WINTRY MIX EXPECTED FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. PLEASE SEE LATEST WINTER STORM WATCH FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. IN THE WAKE OF THIS STORM...STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS COULD CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS...ALONG WITH BELOW ZERO WIND CHILLS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP LAWSON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 winter weather, 8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Freezing drizzle led to a few auto accidents across the county. A pickup slid off of Kansas Highway 4 east of Hoisington, Kansas. The driver and passenger were treated and released. Three other minor accidents occurred in and around Great Bend, Kansas.
Freezing drizzle led to numerous accidents on elevated roadways in and around Hutchinson, Kansas. One accident occurred on US highway 56 east of Elinwood when two vehicles collided. One driver had to be extricated from her car. Both drivers were injured and taken to local hospitals. Another accident involved two vehicles, with 2 passengers sustaining numerous injuries and taken a local hospitals.
Freezing drizzle caused numerous accidents across the county. A 42 year old Wichita, Kansas woman died in one such accident along Interstate 70 near Wilson, Kansas when the vehicle she was riding in slid into the path of an oncoming semi tractor trailer. The driver was also seriously injured in the accident.
Freezing drizzle caused numerous accidents across the county. During the afternoon three vehicles were involved in rollover accidents, with several other vehicles sliding off the road. One such accident along Interstate 135 involved at least five cars near Bridgeport, Kansas.
Almost 12 inches of snow fell across the county leaving some residents home bound for the next couple of days as frigid wind chill values moved in after the storm. The city of Lucas hadn't seen a major storm like this in two or three years with 12 inches accumulating.
Twelve inches of snow fell across the county leaving some residents home bound for a few days as frigid temperatures moved in after the storm. Even with the heavy snowfall very few accidents were reported.
Five to eight inches of snow fell across the county with frigid temperatures moving in after the storm. Even with the heavy snowfall, only a few accidents were reported.
Five to seven inches of snow fell across the area with the heaviest across the north portion of the county. Even with the heavy snow, very few accidents were reported.
Five to eight inches of snow fell across the county. Even with the heavy snowfall less than a dozen accidents were reported but none of them serious.
Three to eight inches of snow fell across the county, with the heaviest amounts near Bushton, Kansas and Frederick, Kansas in the northern portion of the county.
Three to six inches of snow fell across the county, with the heaviest snowfall across the northern portion of the county.
Snowfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches produced 18 accidents across the county. One such accident occurred along Interstate 135 when a vehicle slid into a semi tractor trailer. The driver of the car was seriously injured and taken to the hospital.
A mixture of freezing drizzle, sleet and light snow made driving conditions treacherous across the county. A combination of rollovers, slide-offs and spin arounds led to 133 accidents during the morning rush hour.
Snowfall of one to two inches produced some auto accidents across the county. Four accidents were caused by the slick roadways, but none were serious.
Three to six inches of snow fell across the northern half of the county. Very few accidents were reported with the heavy snow.
A mixture of freezing drizzle, sleet and light snow led to five seperate accidents across the county. Most of the accidents occurred when cars slid on elevated surfaces, and rolled over or slid off the roadway. Two such accidents led to drivers being transported to local hospitals with injuries.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Ellsworth | 2009-12-06 | 42 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, December 2009
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: 208528, 208529, 208530, 208531, 208779, 208780, 208781, 208782, 208783, 208784, 208786, 208790, 208791, 208789, 208788, 208792.