A severe winter storm brought near blizzard and blizzard conditions to much of eastern and northeastern Kansas on February 1 2011. Many areas received 6 to 10 inches of wind blown snow within a 12 hour period.
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.
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 severe winter storm brought near blizzard and blizzard conditions to much of eastern and northeastern Kansas on February 1 2011. Many areas received 6 to 10 inches of wind blown snow within a 12 hour period. Most of the snow fell between 6am and 9pm on February 1. However on the previous day the entire area endured a daylong light freezing rain and freezing drizzle which accumulated to around one tenth of an inch in most spots. So the combination of the ice beneath heavy blowing snow brought dangerous driving conditions to the area. In addition, air temperatures hovered in the single digits and teens which when combined with winds produced wind chill indices of 10 to 20 below during the and after the snowfall.
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 31, 9:42 PM CST, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 942 PM CST MON JAN 31 2011 ...A MAJOR WINTER STORM TO IMPACT EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS... .UPDATE... PRECIPITATION IS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING TONIGHT ACROSS THE PLAINS IN RESPONSE TO HEIGHT FALLS ALOFT WITH A STRONG UPPER LOW OVER NEW MEXICO EJECTING NORTHEAST. FREEZING DRIZZLE HAS BEEN THE PREDOMINATE PRECIPITATION TYPE ACROSS MOST OF NORTHEAST KANSAS THIS EVENING WITH LIGHT SNOW OCCURRING IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. CNK AT 912 PM IS REPORTING LIGHT SNOW WITH VISIBILITY LESS THAN 2 MILES AND WINDS GUSTING TO 35 MPH. THE PRECIPITATION TYPE WILL LIKELY TRANSITION TO SNOW FROM NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS IN RESPONSE TO A TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT RESULTING IN COLD AIR ADVECTION AND FURTHER COOLING OF THE THERMAL PROFILE. 00Z NAM ISENTROPIC ANALYSIS DEPICTS ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE AND SATURATION ALONG THE 295-300K SURFACES OVERNIGHT IN ALL OF NORTHEAST KANSAS. IR SATELLITE AND COOLING CLOUD TOPS CORRESPONDS WELL WITH THIS ANTICIPATED TREND. THUS HAVE INCREASED POPS FURTHER AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH A TRANSITION TO SNOW. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE TUESDAY. THE 00Z NAM ISENTROPIC ANALYSIS FAVORS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TROWAL TRACKING THROUGH EAST CENTRAL AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. DURING THIS TIME FRAME...THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL RATES ALONG WITH THE GREATEST ACCUMULATION IS ANTICIPATED. STILL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ALONG WITH REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO NEAR A QUARTER OF A MILE WITH STRONG 850MB WINDS NEAR 50 KNOTS. MIXING WILL LIKELY BRING WINDS NEAR 35 MPH AT TIMES DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CONSIDERED AN EXPANSION OF THE BLIZZARD WARNING WEST BUT NOT ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR A WESTWARD EXPANSION IN THE 00Z NAM AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...THE 00Z GFS WHICH WILL BE COMING IN LATER TONIGHT ALONG WITH OTHER MODEL GUIDANCE COULD SUPPORT A WESTWARD EXPANSION OF THE BLIZZARD WARNING. WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS AND HEAVIEST SNOWFALL NOT EXPECTED TO OCCUR UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...THERE IS STILL TIME TO FURTHER ASSESS THE FULL SUITE OF 00Z MODEL DATA FOR THE POTENTIAL OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DURING THIS TIME FRAME. ANGLE && .DISCUSSION... LATEST WATER VAPOR SHOWING ONE WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHWEST KS WITH THE MAIN SHORTWAVE TROUGH STILL BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST OVER AZ. SFC ANALYSIS SHOWING LOW PRESSURE OVER SOUTHWEST MO WITH INVERTED TROUGH TO THE NORTH ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN CWA SHIFTING WINDS MORE NORTHERLY IN ITS WAKE WITH COLDER TEMPS. WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT ACROSS THE CWA IS GENERATING LIGHT FZDZ...WHICH SHOULD WEAKEN/END THIS EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE CWA AS THE WAVE MOVES PAST WHILE LIGHT SNOW WORKS INTO THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE CWA. BOTTOM LINE...HAVE LOWERED POPS SOME ACROSS THE SOUTH FOR AN EXPECTED LULL THIS EVENING BEFORE LIGHT SNOW BECOMES LIKELY AGAIN LATER IN THE NIGHT. EITHER WAY...EXPECT AMOUNTS ACROSS THE CWA TO BE GENERALLY LESS THAN 2 INCHES. TEMPS TONIGHT WILL STILL CONTINUE TO FALL ACROSS THE AREA WITH LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS NORTH CENTRAL TO THE LOW TO MID TEENS ELSEWHERE. AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER AZ ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE OVERALL ROCKIES TROUGH...IT WILL LIFT MORE NORTHEAST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. SNOW WILL INCREASE QUICKLY AFTER 12Z ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA WITH INCREASING FRONTOGENESIS AS THE TROWAL FEATURE BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE IN THE EAST CENTRAL IN THE MORNING. AS THE WAVE LIFTS OUT ACROSS EASTERN KS/MO...THE LARGE SCALE LIFT WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA...BUT ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST 1/3 OF THE CWA WHERE THE LIFT WILL COINCIDE WITH THE TROWAL WITHIN A DEEP FAVORABLE DENDRITIC SNOW GROWTH REGION. THIS WILL TRANSLATE TO ADDITIONAL DAYTIME SNOW TOTALS FROM 2 INCHES IN THE FAR NORTHWEST TO 9 INCHES IN THE FAR SOUTHEAST WHERE SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE. WITH ADDITIONAL WINTRY CONDITIONS TONIGHT AND THE STRONG/INCREASING NORTH WINDS AND SNOWFALL TUESDAY...WILL CONTINUE WITH A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE CWA. HOWEVER...HAVE UPGRADED THE SOUTHEAST 4 COUNTIES TO A BLIZZARD WARNING BEGINNING AT 12Z TUES AND CONTINUING THRU THE NIGHT WHERE THE HIGHEST SNOW TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 10-13 INCHES WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONG WINDS TO CREATE VSBYS COMMONLY AT OR BELOW 1/4 MILE. 63 POTENT WEATHER SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS TUESDAY NIGHT. BROAD TROWAL WILL ENHANCE SNOWFALL IN THE EVENING ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS...THIS COMBINED WITH STRONG SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT WILL LEAD TO SOME BURSTS OF HEAVY SNOW IN THE 00Z-06Z WEDNESDAY PERIOD. MODELS ARE IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA BY 00Z WEDNESDAY WITH THE SURFACE LOW NEAR THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL. LATEST RUN OF THE ECMWF HAS COME IN FURTHER NORTH THAN THE GFS AND NAM. IF THE GFS IS CORRECT THEN MORE SNOW WILL OCCUR IN THE TUESDAY NIGHT PERIOD. FOR NOW WILL GO WITH A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD APPROACH AND GO WITH A BLEND OF THE 12Z ECMWF/GFS/SREF QPF FOR TUESDAY NIGHT. SNOW RATIOS WITH THE COLDER AIR MOVING IN EXPECT TO BE NEAR 17 TO 1 TUESDAY EVENING AND NEAR 18 TO 1 AFTER 06Z. GOOD DEEP LAYER DEPICTED ON SOUNDINGS IN THE DENDRITIC SNOW CRYSTAL GROWTH ZONE WITH LIFT THROUGHOUT THE LAYER. THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE STRONG WITH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTS TO 35 MPH WHICH WILL CAUSE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW AND IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. WIND CHILLS TUESDAY NIGHT WILL BE IN THE 15 TO 25 BELOW RANGE. BROAD ARCTIC HIGH SETTLES OVER HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. NORTHEAST KANSAS IN IN BETWEEN THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN STREAMS ON FRIDAY THEN A BROAD UPPER TROUGH MOVES IN ON SATURDAY PLACING THE CWA IN NORTHWEST FLOW. A COUPLE OF WAVES MOVE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...WITH A DEEPER TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE PLAINS IN THE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY PERIOD. TIMING MAY SLOW UP BUT MODEL CONSENSUS WOULD SUPPORT SMALL POPS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOL ENOUGH FOR ALL SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY INTO THE 20S AND 30S...SOME 40S ARE POSSIBLE IN CENTRAL KANSAS. ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT WITH HIGHS COOLING INTO THE 20S BY MONDAY. 53 && .AVIATION... IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. FZDZ WILL CHANGE OVER TO SN TONIGHT WITH PERIODS OF +SN EXPECTED AFTER 17Z TUESDAY. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TUESDAY BRINGING BLSN ALONG WITH A FURTHER REDUCTION TO VISIBILITIES. ANGLE && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR KSZ008>012- 020>024-026-034>039-054-055. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR KSZ040-056-058- 059. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR KSZ040-056-058-059. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 912 PM CST MON JAN 31 2011 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-020315- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 912 PM CST MON JAN 31 2011 ...A MAJOR WINTER STORM TO IMPACT EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL TRANSITION TO LIGHT SNOW TONIGHT. ACCUMULATION OF ICE WILL CAUSE SLICK SPOTS ON AREA ROADWAYS. ICE ACCUMULATION WILL RANGE FROM A TRACE TO NEAR A TENTH OF AN INCH. THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW OVERNIGHT. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGING FROM A DUSTING TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BY 6 AM TUESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE SNOW WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY TUESDAY...CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AND END FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE ANTICIPATED TO RANGE FROM 4 TO 14 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION OF 10 INCHES AND GREATER IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR NEAR AND EAST OF AN AREA FROM HIAWATHA TO TOPEKA TO EMPORIA. 11 TO 14 INCHES IS LIKELY NEAR AND EAST OF AN AREA FROM BURLINGTON TO OTTAWA. ELSEWHERE ACROSS NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 4 TO 9 INCHES. INCREASING WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW AS WELL AS REDUCED VISIBILITIES. AREAS OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS WILL SEE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL MAKE FOR TREACHEROUS TO IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL CONDITIONS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS OF 15 TO 25 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MEASURED WITH A RULER ON HARD SURFACES SUCH AS A SIDEWALK OR A SNOWBOARD LOCATED AWAY FROM STRUCTURES AND SNOW DRIFTS. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MEASURED IN GRASS ARE INACCURATE. ANGLE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 winter storm, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency Manager reported 6 to 10 inches of snow which had accumulated to 6 inches by around noon on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred.
Emergency Manager reported 6 to 8 inches of snow which had accumulated to 6 inches by around 6pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred.
Emergency Manager reported 6 to 10 inches of snow which had accumulated to 6 inches by around 1pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred.
Emergency Manager reported 6 to 10 inches of snow which had accumulated to 6 inches by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. Near blizzard to blizzard conditions also occurred during the afternoon of February 1.
Emergency Manager reported 8 to 10 inches of snow which had accumulated to 6 inches by around 2pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. Near blizzard to blizzard conditions also occurred during the afternoon of February 1.
Emergency Manager reported 6 to 8 inches of snow which had accumulated to 6 inches by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st.
Emergency Manager reported 6 to 10 inches of snow which had accumulated to 6 inches by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st.
Emergency Manager and media reported 6 to 8 inches of snow which had accumulated to 6 inches by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st.
Emergency Manager reported 6 inches of snow which had accumulated by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st.
Spotters reported 6 inches of snow which had accumulated by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st.
Spotters reported 6 to 8 inches of snow which had accumulated by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st.
Spotters reported 5 to 6 inches of snow which had accumulated by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st.
NWS office in Topeka measured 6 inches of snow which had accumulated by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st. A total of 9 inches was recorded at the NWS office in Topeka by 8pm February 1.
Emergency Manager reported 5 to 6 inches of snow which had accumulated by around 4pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st.
Emergency Manager reported 4 to 6 inches of snow which had accumulated by around 6pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st which combined to produce winter storm conditions.
Emergency Manager reported 4 to 6 inches of snow which had accumulated by around 6pm on February 1. Significant blowing and drifting also occurred. This was in addition to the light ice accumulation that occurred during the day of Jan 31st which combined to produce winter storm conditions.
Surface observations in combination with spotter reports and measured snow amounts suggest that blizzard conditions occurred for a period of 3 to 4 hours during the mid to late afternoon of February 1st across parts of eastern Kansas including Douglas County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, February 2011
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: 270496, 270497, 270498, 270500, 270501, 270502, 270503, 270504, 270505, 270506, 270507, 270508, 270509, 270510, 270511, 270512, 270513.