Much of Northeast Kansas received a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow during the day of February 24th. The heaviest ice accumulation occurred across Jackson, Jefferson, Brown into Shawnee and Wabaunsee Counties where amounts to around one quarter inch were common on trees and power lines.
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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.
Much of Northeast Kansas received a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow during the day of February 24th. The heaviest ice accumulation occurred across Jackson, Jefferson, Brown into Shawnee and Wabaunsee Counties where amounts to around one quarter inch were common on trees and power lines. Several thousand residents of NE Kansas were without power for a time Thursday night February 24th due to power outages. Of note, the heaviest snows occurred between 4pm and 9pm on the evening of February 24th when thundersnow was reported in the Topeka area with visibilities of less than one eighth of a mile to near zero at times. Snowfall rates of 1 to as high as 2 inches per hour were common during this period of time.
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 Feb 24, 3:21 AM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 321 AM CST THU FEB 24 2011 .DISCUSSION... TODAY IS TURNING OUT TO BE VERY MESSY WITH MODELS TRENDING MORE DYNAMIC WITH THE UPPER WAVE AND LOTS OF WARM AIR AND MOISTURE ADVECTING INTO THE SYSTEM ACROSS EASTERN KS. MODELS CONTINUE TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT IN STRENGTH AND TIMING OF THE STORM SYSTEM...WITH SOME MINOR DIFFERENCES IN THE TEMP PROFILE AND WHEN PRECIP MAY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW. IN SHORT...THERE SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH FORCING AND MOISTURE FOR PRECIP TO OCCUR THROUGH THE DAY...AND WE ARE ALREADY SEEING ELEVATED CONVECTION DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL KS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A DISTINCT WARM NOSE SETTING UP ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL KS INTO THE MID AFTERNOON. WITH TEMPS NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING...THE ATMOSPHERE IS SET UP FOR A SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN EVENT ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. ON TOP OF THE FORCING...BOTH THE GFS AND NAM ARE SHOWING CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY WITH A SLIGHT NEGATIVE TILT TO THE WAVE AS IT LIFTS ACROSS NORTHEAST KS. GIVEN THE INSTABILITY AND GOOD MOISTURE ADVECTION...THINK SOME AREAS OF EAST CENTRAL KS COULD RECEIVE OVER A HALF INCH OF QPF BY THIS EVENING. MUCH OF THIS QPF COULD BE IN THE FORM OF SLEET WITH ACCUMULATIONS AROUND A HALF IN NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. BECAUSE OF THE EXPECTED FORCING...MOISTURE AND INTENSITY OF PRECIP...WILL UPGRADE THE ADVISORY TO A WINTER STORM WARNING. DO NOT NECESSARILY THINK SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE HIGH ENOUGH TO VERIFY A WARNING IN SPITE OF THE RAW SNOW TOTALS FROM THE MODELS...THINKING SIGNIFICANT SLEET ACCUMULATIONS WILL EAT IN TO THE STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS. ANTICIPATE HEARING A FAIR AMOUNT OF THUNDER WITH THE SLEET AND SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES /COFFEY...ANDERSON AND FRANKLIN/ OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL REMAIN WITHOUT AND HEADLINE AT THIS TIME THINKING THAT SFC TEMPS WILL REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE DAY AND ANY FREEZING PRECIP ACCUMULATIONS THIS EVENING WILL REMAIN MINOR. THE FAR NORTHWESTERN COUNTIES /CLOUD... REPUBLIC...WASHINGTON AND MARSHALL/ WILL REMAIN IN AN ADVISORY FOR NOW EXPECTING TEMPS THROUGH THE COLUMN TO BE COLD ENOUGH FOR ALL SNOW WITH AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 3 TO 5 INCHES. SO FOR THE COUNTIES IN BETWEEN...PERIOD OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN ARE FORECAST. RIGHT NOW FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW ENOUGH COLD AIR BELOW THE WARM NOSE ALOFT FOR PRECIP TO REFREEZE AND FALL PRIMARILY AS SLEET. THINK THE MOST INTENSE OF THE PRECIP IS LIKELY TO OCCUR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE AFTERNOON COMMUTE. TEMPS TODAY WILL NOT WARM MUCH OVER WHAT CURRENT READING ARE DUE TO OVERCAST SKIES AND NEUTRAL OR WEAK COLD AIR ADVECTION. FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS SETTING UP OVER NEB AND DRIFTING SOUTH NEAR THE STATE LINE. FORECAST SOUNDINGS HAVE A BETTER SATURATION WITHIN THE MID LEVELS FOR ICE NUCLEATION TO OCCUR SO ANTICIPATE MAINLY A VERY LIGHT SNOW EVENT WITH ACCUMULATIONS GENERALLY LESS THAN AN INCH. MODELS SHOW THIS MID LEVEL MOISTURE MOVING OFF TO THE EAST THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY WITH UPPER LEVEL SUBSIDENCE INCREASING. SO WOULD EXPECTED THE LIGHT PRECIP TO COME TO AN END ON SATURDAY. HAVE COOLED HIGHS AND LOWS THROUGH THE PERIOD DUE TO CLOUD COVER REMAINING OVER THE REGION AND THE NAM AND ECMWF PERSISTING WITH WEAK COLD AIR ADVECTION. TEMPS MAY STRUGGLE TO WARM ABOVE FREEZING THROUGH SATURDAY. WOLTERS MODELS CONTINUE TO ROTATE NEXT STORM...NOW OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...INTO CA AND OUT INTO THE PLAINS BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND. ALTHOUGH COLD TEMPERATURES MAY BE IN PLACE SUNDAY MORNING...VERY STRONG WARM AIR AND MOISTURE ADVECTION SHOULD BE UNDERWAY LATE IN THE NIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTY WARNING AREA. WITH INSTABILITY INCREASING ALOFT HAVE ADDED THUNDER TO PORTIONS OF THE EAST CENTRAL FORECAST AREA...THEN SPREAD THIS POTENTIAL NORTH AND NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY. IF IT OCCURS EARLY ENOUGH IN THE MORNING NORTH CENTRAL...THERE IS SOME FREEZING RAIN POTENTIAL...OTHERWISE MAINLY CONVECTION CHANCES THROUGH THE DAY WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS FROM THE 40S NORTH TO THE 50S SOUTH. AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH PASSES THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT...A TRANSITION TO RAIN OR SNOW EAST AND SNOW WEST AS THE COLDER AIR ALOFT OVERSPREADS THE AREA. COULD SEE SOME LINGERING SNOW IN THE FAR EAST EARLY MONDAY...OTHERWISE DRY BEYOND MONDAY MORNING INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TRANSITION THEN TO A MORE ZONAL PATTERN...A MODERATION TO HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 50S LOOKS GOOD... ALTHOUGH 40S POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN COUNTIES WEDNESDAY AS A WEAK FRONT TRIES TO EDGE INTO THAT AREA BY MID WEEK. 63 && .AVIATION... CONDITIONS TO STEADILY DETERIORATE THURSDAY. FREEZING PRECIP LIKELY TO START BY MIDDAY WITH A TRANSITION TO SNOW AND IFR CIGS AT BEST BY LATE AFTERNOON. DIFFERENCES DO EXIST ON JUST WHEN THIS WILL OCCUR HOWEVER. UPPER TROFS PASSAGE IN THE EVENING PROVIDES IMPROVING CONDITIONS...THOUGH CIG RESTRICTIONS SHOULD PERSIST. 65 && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6AM TO 9PM THURSDAY FOR KSZ011-012-021>024-026-034>040-054-055. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6AM TO 9PM THURSDAY FOR KSZ008>010-020. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 437 AM CST THU FEB 24 2011 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-251045- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 437 AM CST THU FEB 24 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A WINTER STORM WILL BRING A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW TO MUCH OF THE AREA. 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET IS POSSIBLE BY THE EVENING FOR AREAS NORTHWEST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE COMBINED ACCUMULATIONS OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW. SCATTER THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS SUNDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT THE TYPE OF WINTER PRECIPITATION FALLING AND ANY ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA. WOLTERS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Reports of one quarter to one half inch of ice accumulation were received from Emergency Management across Jefferson County. This was mainly on elevated surfaces from freezing rain. In addition, heavy snow fell between 4pm and 9pm which accumulated to around 6 inches.
Reports of one quarter inch of ice accumulation were received from an off duty NWS employee in southwest Shawnee County. This was mainly on elevated surfaces from freezing rain. Shawnee County also reported 1500 customers without power due to lines falling due to the weight of ice and stress of wind. In addition, heavy snow fell between 4pm and 9pm when around 5 inches accumulated with near whiteout conditions observed during that time.
Reports of one quarter inch of ice accumulation were received from law enforcement in Holton. In addition, heavy snow fell across the county mainly between 4pm and 9pm when visibilities fell to near zero and 5 to 6 inches accumulated.
A combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow occurred during the day with around one tenth of an inch of ice falling beneath 5 to 7 inches of snow. The heaviest snow occurred between 4pm and 10 pm.
A combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow occurred during the day with around one tenth of an inch of ice falling beneath 5 to 7 inches of snow. The heaviest snow occurred between 4pm and 10 pm.
A combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow occurred during the day with around one tenth of an inch of ice falling beneath 4 to 6 inches of snow. The heaviest snow occurred between 4pm and 10 pm when visibilities across the northern half of the county fell to near zero.
A combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow occurred during the day with around one tenth of an inch of ice falling beneath 4 to 6 inches of snow. The heaviest snow occurred between 4pm and 10 pm when snowfall rates were around 1 inch per hour.
A combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow occurred during the day with around one tenth of an inch of ice falling beneath 4 to 6 inches of snow. The heaviest snow occurred between 4pm and 10 pm when snowfall rates were around 1 to as high as 2 inches per hour. Thunder snow was reported across parts of Wabaunsee and Shawnee Counties indicating the intense nature of the snowfall.
A combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow occurred during the day with around one tenth of an inch of ice falling beneath 4 to 6 inches of snow. The heaviest snow occurred between 4pm and 10 pm when snowfall rates were around 1 to as high as 2 inches per hour.
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: 274822, 274823, 274824, 275096, 275097, 275098, 275100, 275101, 275102.