A fast moving storm system tracked southeast across the Central Plains producing a swath of 3 to 6 inches of snow along with strong northwest winds. The very dry nature of the snow combined with strong northwest winds to produce near zero visibilities on area roadways during the evening hours of January 6th.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 TOP wrote it up.
A fast moving storm system tracked southeast across the Central Plains producing a swath of 3 to 6 inches of snow along with strong northwest winds. The very dry nature of the snow combined with strong northwest winds to produce near zero visibilities on area roadways during the evening hours of January 6th. The area already had a powdery snowpack of 6 to 12 inches which also served to enhance the blowing and drifting of snow.
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 Jan 6, 5:45 AM CST, 5 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 545 AM CST WED JAN 6 2010 .UPDATE... UPDATED FOR THE 12 UTC AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... SEE THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION... MVFR CEILINGS WILL LOWER TO BELOW IFR AT BOTH KTOP AND KFOE BY MID MORNING. KMHK IS AT 900 FEET AND THEY MAY DROP TO 600 FEET THROUGH THE DAY. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL PLAINS TONIGHT. ASCENT COMBINED WITH WAA SHOULD CAUSE LIGHT SNOW TO DEVELOP AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH THE MID AND LATE MORNING HOURS. THE SNOW WILL INCREASE INTENSITY AFTER 18Z AND VISBYS WILL DROP TO 1SM. THE 5H TROUGH AXIS SHOULD PASS ACROSS THE TAF SITES LATER THIS EVENING BRINGING AN END TO THE SNOW. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 KTS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND LAST THROUGH THE MOST OF THE DAY THURSDAY. I KEPT VISBYS AT 5SM FOR BLOWING SNOW...IF WINDS ARE A BIT STRONGER THE VISBYS MAY HAVE TO BE REDUCED. CEILINGS SHOULD INCREASE TO MVFR LEVELS LATER TONIGHT AND WE MAY GO VFR CEILINGS AFTER 12Z THU. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 344 AM CST WED JAN 6 2010/ DISCUSSION... FORECAST FOCUS THIS MORNING WILL BE ON WINTER STORM SYSTEM EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO IMPACT THE AREA TODAY. EVENT HIGHLIGHT WILL BE THE INTRUSION OF A VERY COLD ARCTIC AIRMASS AND STRONG WINDS RESULTING IN BRUTALLY COLD WIND CHILL READINGS AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF FALLING AND FALLEN SNOW TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. EXPECTED SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING WILL ALSO BE DETAILED. TODAY...LIGHT PRECIPITATION OVER NEBRASKA SOUTH OF NORTHFOLK YET TO BE PICKED UP BY SFC OBS. 06/00Z AND 06/06Z NAM/GFS REFLECTING THE TREND TO MORE SLOWLY INTRODUCE ACCUMULATING PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE REGION. OTHERWISE...DETAILS REGARDING THIS SYSTEM HAVE CHANGED LITTLE IN THE PAST 24 HOURS. MUCH OF THE ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE NOTED THIS MORNING WILL SERVE TO SATURATE THE LOW TO MID LEVEL ATMOSPHERE. WEAKENING ASCENT NOTED ON THE 280-285K SURFACES AND EVENTUAL ARRIVAL OF 850MB FRONTOGENETIC FORCING AFTER 18Z PREDICATES WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL ACROSS THE AREA. ACCUMULATIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON WERE CALCULATED USING A CLIMATOLOGICALLY FAVORED 15:1 SNOW:LIQUID RATIO...YIELDING 1-3 INCH ACCUMULATIONS GREATEST NORTHEAST. SFC COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH EAST CENTRAL KANSAS BY 00Z. WILL MAINTAIN GOING WINTER STORM WARNING FAR NORTHEAST WHERE GREATEST SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. BUT...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND THE EVENTUAL HAZARDOUS WIND CHILLS OUTLINED BELOW WILL BE THE SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE CONDITIONS PROMPTING THE WARNING CONTINUATION. ADVISORY STILL LOOKS APPROPRIATE ELSEWHERE. TONIGHT...700:650MB FRONTOGENESIS AND PASSING LEFT EXIT QUAD OF 300MB JET STREAK INFER LARGE SCALE FORCING FOR ASCENT. THEREFORE MAINTAINED LIKELY POPS THROUGH 06S THUR. BEST PV ADVECTION FOCUSES NORTH AND EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA THOUGH...SO GREATEST QPF WILL BE OBSERVED ACROSS IOWA AND NORTHERN MO. AS AIRMASS COOLS THROUGH THE NIGHT...SNOW:LIQUID RATIOS SHOULD INCREASE. UTILIZED A 20:1 RATIO AFTER 00Z. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3-5 INCHES EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS NORTHEAST...AND 2-4 INCHES WEST. OF GREATER SIGNIFICANCE THOUGH WILL BE BLUSTERY NORTHWEST WINDS THAT WILL INCREASE TO SUSTAINED 20-25KTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS CWA-WIDE BY 06Z. NOT ONLY WILL THESE WINDS CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE FALLEN AND FALLING SNOW...BUT WHEN COMBINED WITH RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS AOB -15F BY EARLY THURS MORNING. THURSDAY...LINGERING FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE LOW...BUT SUBSIDENCE AND DRY INTRUSION LOOK TO EFFECTIVELY END PRECIPITATION AFTER 12Z THUR. BLOWING SNOW REMAINS LIKELY THROUGH THE DAY CONSIDERING THE LIGHT AND FLUFFY ACCUMULATED SNOW...LITTLE RELAXATION IN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT NOTED BEFORE 00Z FRI...AND DOWNWARD MOMENTUM TRANSFER OF 35-40KT 900MB WINDS THROUGH THE DAY. WIND CHILLS WILL REMAIN LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO -15F THROUGH THE ENTIRE DAY...AND WILL PRECIPITOUSLY DROP AFTER SUNDOWN...COINCIDENT LY AS SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO CLEAR. WIND CHILLS AOB -25F ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF I-70. EXPECT THAT A WIND CHILL WARNING WILL BE ISSUED IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR THESE LOCATIONS...IF NOT ELSEWHERE AS WELL. FRIDAY/SATURDAY...NIL WEATHER EXPECTED AS 1042MB SFC HIGH BUILDS INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS STATES AND WESTERN 500MB RIDGE SHIFTS EASTWARD. TEMPERATURES FRIDAY WILL REMAIN BITTERLY COLD...BUT SLACKENING WIND FIELD WILL BRING SOME REPRIEVE TO THE APPARENT TEMPERATURE. VEERING LOW TO MID LEVEL FLOW BRINGS MODEST WAA INTO THE STATE SATURDAY. EXPECT TEMPS TO CLIMB ALL THE WAY INTO THE MIDDLE TEENS ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA IN THE AFTERNOON. NO SUCH LUCK FURTHER EAST WHERE SINGLE DIGITS ON THE PLUS SIDE OF ZERO WILL RULE. TEMPS WILL CONTINUE TO WARM AT THE START OF NEXT WEEK...BUT HIGHS WILL REMAIN 5-10F BELOW AVERAGE. NO CHANGES MADE PAST SATURDAY. KONOP && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM THURSDAY FOR KSZ010-KSZ011- KSZ012-KSZ024-KSZ026-KSZ040. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM THURSDAY FOR KSZ008-KSZ009- KSZ020-KSZ021-KSZ022-KSZ023-KSZ034-KSZ035-KSZ036-KSZ037-KSZ038- KSZ039-KSZ054-KSZ055-KSZ056-KSZ058-KSZ059. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 514 AM CST WED JAN 6 2010 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-071115- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 514 AM CST WED JAN 6 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOWFALL WILL OVERSPREAD THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA THIS MORNING...AND PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY. SNOW WILL BE MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON. 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS EXPECTED ACROSS FAR NORTHEAST KANSAS. STRONG WINDS AND A BITTERLY COLD ARCTIC AIRMASS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION THIS EVENING. THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE FALLING AND FALLEN SNOW...WHICH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITIES ACROSS THE AREA. WIND CHILL READINGS WILL FALL TO -15 DEGREES OR LOWER BY MIDNIGHT NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOWFALL WILL COME TO AN END THURSDAY MORNING. EVENT TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES SOUTH AND WEST OF A MARYSVILLE TO LAWRENCE LINE...AND 4 TO 6 INCHES NORTH AND EAST OF THAT LINE. STRONG WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...AND THE BITTERLY COLD ARCTIC AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS ALSO EXPECTED THURSDAY. WIND CHILLS DURING THIS TIME FRAME WILL BE DANGEROUSLY COLD...FALLING TO -15 TO -25 DEGREES THURSDAY MORNING...AND -30 TO -35 DEGREES FRIDAY MORNING. WIND CHILLS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING WILL AGAIN FALL INTO THE -15 TO -25 DEGREE RANGE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Four inches of new snow estimated six miles northeast of Hiawatha. Severe blowing and drifting reported. State Road 290 north of Hiawatha was drifted shut and closed due to severe drifting snow. The combination of drifting and strong winds are creating near blizzard conditions.
Emergency manager reports 3 inches of new snow along with significant drifting due to strong northwest winds. Some state roads in the county have been drifted shut and are closed until the winds subside. Visibility is near zero outside of Marysville due to the strong winds and powdery nature of the snow.
Four inches of snow estimated five miles northeast of Soldier, Kansas. Severe blowing and drifting of snow. Visibilities are near zero across the county.
New snow estimated to be 3 to 4 inches at Whiting. Severe blowing and drifting also reported and visibilities are near zero. Near blizzard conditions are reported.
Emergency Manager reports between 4 and 5 inches of new snow has fallen across the county. Around 4.5 inches is estimated at Oskaloosa. Severe blowing and drifting snow also occurring with near blizzard conditions in place throughout the county.
Spotter estimates 4.5 inches of new snow. The snow is now blowing and drifting with near zero visibility.
Observer estimates 5.1 inches of new snow since around noon. Strong northwest winds are now producing blowing and drifting of snow. Some drifts are near 4 feet deep.
Between 4 and 5 inches of new snow estimated in Lawrence, Kansas. Zero visibilities reported along the Kansas Turnpike due to the falling snow along with the strong northwest winds. Severe drifting of snow also reported with drifts of 2 to 4 feet high reported on west to east roadways.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, January 2010
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: 201266, 201264, 201265, 201267, 201268, 201270, 201271, 201269.