Heavy wet snow began to fall around sunset on March 13th and accumulated to between 6 and 8 inches in a local swath that included Riley, Pottawatomie, and Wabaunsee Counties in Northeast Kansas. The remainder of the area received amounts ranging from 2 to 5 inches from this snowfall event.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
Heavy wet snow began to fall around sunset on March 13th and accumulated to between 6 and 8 inches in a local swath that included Riley, Pottawatomie, and Wabaunsee Counties in Northeast Kansas. The remainder of the area received amounts ranging from 2 to 5 inches from this snowfall event. The snow reached warning criteria amounts between midnight and 4am on March 14th.
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 Mar 13, 5:42 PM CST, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 642 PM CDT SUN MAR 13 2011 .UPDATE... UPDATED THE AVIATION DISCUSSION. ALSO INCREASED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. && .DISCUSSION... MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE AMPLIFYING OVER CENTRAL KS OVERNIGHT. THERE APPEARS TO BE A STRONG SLOPING FRONTAL ZONE WITH THIS SYSTEM AND GOOD FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING FOR PRECIP. REPORTS ARE ALREADY COMING IN WITH PRECIP MIXING WITH SLEET AND QUICKLY CHANGING OVER TO SNOW ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KS. THIS IS ABOUT 6 HOURS QUICKER THAN PREVIOUS SHIFT EXPECTED. BECAUSE OF THE FORCING AND PRECIP ALREADY CHANGING OVER...HAVE INCREASED SNOW AMOUNTS TO GO WITH 2 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS MOST AREA. GIVEN THE MESO FORCING AND NEUTRAL OR WEAK INSTABILITY...THERE WILL LIKELY BE A BAND OF LOCALLY HIGHER SNOW AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 5 INCHES. BECAUSE OF THIS WILL BE ISSUING A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MAINLY FOR SNOW. BUT THERE WILL BE A MIX FOR A BRIEF PERIOD BEFORE A COMPLETE CHANGE OVER. INITIALLY THINK THAT SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE ONLY ON GRASSY SURFACES. HOWEVER THINK GIVEN THE FORCING AND INSTABILITY...THAT THE INTENSITY CAN BE HIGH ENOUGH FOR ACCUMULATIONS ON ROADS AS WELL. WOLTERS && .AVIATION... EXPECT DETERIORATING CONDITIONS AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. RAIN AND SLEET WILL MOVE INTO THE TERMINALS BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO SNOW. INTENSITY OF THE SNOW COULD BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR A PERIOD OF IFR OR LIFR CONDITIONS DURING THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. DUE TO A SLOWER AND MORE AMPLIFIED PROGRESSION SEEN IN THE 18Z MODELS...LIGHT SNOW WILL LIKELY LINGER IN THE EAST THROUGH THE MID MORNING MONDAY. CIGS SHOULD LIFT ABOVE 3 KFT WITH VSBY IMPROVING TO P6SM DURING THE AFTERNOON MONDAY. WOLTERS && .PREV DISCUSSION.../325 PM CDT SUN MAR 13 2011/ SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)...A CHALLENGING FORECAST IN REGARDS TO PRECIPITATION TYPE ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL OF SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH NOTED ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY IS BEGINNING TO KICK SOUTHEAST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. FORECAST MODEL CONSENSUS DEEPENS THE UPPER TROUGH INTO AN UPPER LOW WITH THE LOW TRACKING THROUGH CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS INTO THE MISSOURI OZARKS TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. IN ADVANCE OF THIS UPPER TROUGH...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS IN RESPONSE TO MID LEVEL DIFFLUENCE...FRONTOGENETIC FORCING AND DEEPER MOISTURE RETURN. RAIN SHOWERS ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE OVER EAST CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS THIS EVENING. DUE TO A MID LEVEL DRY LAYER FROM NORTHEAST FLOW IN THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE ATMOSPHERE...THE INITIAL PRECIPITATION WILL ONLY MOISTEN THE COLUMN. HOWEVER...THE COLUMN WILL FULLY SATURATE AFTER SUNSET WITH NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS. LIMITED INSTABILITY WILL BE IN PLACE FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. THE COLUMN WILL FURTHER COOL DUE TO WET BULBING PROCESSES AND THE PASSAGE OF THE CORE OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW THROUGH PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS AFTER MIDNIGHT. SINCE 00Z SUNDAY...MODEL SUITES HAVE TRENDED COLDER IN REGARDS TO THERMAL PROFILES AND THE STRENGTH OF THE UPPER TROUGH/LOW. FORECAST MODELS PROG THE THERMAL PROFILE COOLING TO NEAR 0 TO -2 DEGREES CELSIUS IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER OVERNIGHT WHICH WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF RAIN MIXING WITH SNOW AND A TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW IF THERMAL PROFILES COOL EVEN FURTHER. HAVE INCLUDED A RAIN/SNOW MIX PRIMARILY AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH THE POTENTIAL OF SNOW EARLY MONDAY MORNING. IN REGARDS TO ACCUMULATION...CURRENT FORECAST IS FOR A DUSTING TO NEAR AN INCH AND A HALF. WARMER GROUND TEMPERATURES...FORECAST THERMAL PROFILES...INITIAL RAIN/SNOW MIX AND THE TIME FRAME OF THE STRONGEST OMEGA ARE FACTORS THAT WOULD INHIBIT GREATER SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION. HOWEVER IF THE LOW WERE TO FURTHER DEEPEN AND SLOW...THE PROFILES FURTHER COOL...AND STRONGER LIFT IS REALIZED...HIGHER SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE REALIZED. FOR NOW HAVE OPTED TO HOLD OFF ON ANY HEADLINES WITH THE 00Z KTOP SOUNDING AND THE 00Z MODEL RUNS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL VALUABLE CLUES TO THE OVERNIGHT SHORT TERM FORECAST PERIOD. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL KICK EAST INTO THE MISSOURI OZARKS MONDAY MORNING WITH THE PRECIPITATION ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA BY NOON. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMEST MONDAY AFTERNOON IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WHERE CLEARING WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO WARM NEAR 50 AND THE COLDEST ACROSS EAST CENTRAL KANSAS WHERE CLOUD COVER WILL LINGER AND TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY REACH THE LOWER 40S. ANGLE LONG TERM (MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...TUESDAY WILL BRING INCREASING CLOUDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. THE BEST AREA FOR INCREASING CLOUD COVER WITH EVEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN WILL BE AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70. ISENTROPIC LIFT LOOKS RATHER MEAGER...HOWEVER RELATIVE HUMIDITY SLICES AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW THAT AN AREA OF SATURATION WITH MODEST LIFT WILL OCCUR AROUND 600 MB AND COULD CREATE SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION. THE MID LEVELS BELOW THAT 10 KFT CEILING WILL BE RATHER DRY...SO ANY PRECIP WHICH MAY BE GENERATED IN THOSE UPPER MID LEVELS WILL MOST LIKELY EVAPORATE BEFORE REACHING THE SURFACE. WILL NOT RULE OUT A PERIOD OF VERY LIGHT SHOWERS...BUT SPRINKLES LOOKS TO BE THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. BY THURSDAY WARM/MOIST AIR WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA BEHIND FAIRLY STRONG LOW LEVEL SOUTHERLY WINDS. THURSDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEK...WITH TEMPERATURES REACHING INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. CLOUD COVER COULD COMPLICATE THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST ON THURSDAY. SHOULD THE AREA AVOID A LARGE SPATIAL COVERAGE OF STRATUS CLOUDS TEMPERATURES COULD RISE EVEN HIGHER. MODELS DO HINT AT SOME CLOUDS BUILDING IN FOR THURSDAY...SO WILL NOT DEVIATE TOO FAR FROM GUIDANCE IN THIS TIME PERIOD. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ACCUMULATING RAINFALL WILL OCCUR ON SATURDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT WAVE MOVING INTO THE PLAINS. TIMING...LOCATION...AND INTENSITY OF THE RAINFALL IS STILL A LITTLE UNCERTAIN...BUT THE GFS INDICATES AN AXIS OF INCREASING CAPE NOSING INTO NORTHEAST KANSAS FOR THAT TIME PERIOD...THUS FEEL THAT A MENTION OF THUNDERSTORMS IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. EXPECT SHOWERY ACTIVITY TO REMAIN IN THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY BEFORE FINALLY CLEARING OUT LATE NEXT WEEKEND. JL && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR KSZ008>012-020>024-034>036 UNTIL 7AM MONDAY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR KSZ026-037>040-054-055 UNTIL 10 AM MONDAY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR KSZ056-058-059 FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL NOON MONDAY. && WOLTERS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED TYPO IN DAY ONE SECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 553 PM CDT SUN MAR 13 2011 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-142300- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 553 PM CDT SUN MAR 13 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL KANSAS EARLY THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL EVENTUALLY CHANGE FROM RAIN TO SNOW...INITIALLY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS THIS EVENING THEN ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS AROUND MIDNIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY NOON MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WHEN PRECIPITATION CHANGES OVER TO SNOW TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA. WOLTERS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
659 PM CDT SUN MAR 13 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0658 PM SNOW NNE MINNEAPOLIS 39.12N 97.70W
03/13/2011 E0.5 INCH OTTAWA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER ESTIMATES 0.25 TO 0.50 AN INCH OF SNOW.
&&
ANDERSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
708 PM CDT SUN MAR 13 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0705 PM HEAVY SNOW 2 NNW HADDAM 39.88N 97.31W
03/13/2011 E0.5 INCH WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
HEAVY WET SNOW ACCUMULATING ON POWERLINES...TREES...AND
GRAVEL ROADS. VISIBILITY LESS THAN A 1/4 MILE. SNOW BEGIN
ABOUT 630 PM.
&&
WOLTERSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
COOP reports and EM reports suggest 6 to 7 inches of snow fell across much of the county from this storm.
COOP reports and EM reports suggest 6 to 7 inches of snow fell across much of the county from this storm.
COOP reports and EM reports suggest 6 to 7 inches of snow fell across much of the county from this storm.
COOP reports and EM reports suggest 6 inches of snow fell across much of the county from this storm.
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, March 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: 277919, 277920, 277921, 277922.