Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kansas, February 3 to 4, 2012

Name: Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kansas, February 3 to 4, 2012
Start: 2012-02-03T18:00
End: 2012-02-04T03:00
Location: Kansas

February 3 to 4, 2012 · NWS DDC · 9 events in 4 counties and zones

An upper level low passing south of the area along with strong cold advection behind a cold front allowed for moderate to heavy accumulations of snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DDC wrote it up.

An upper level low passing south of the area along with strong cold advection behind a cold front allowed for moderate to heavy accumulations of snow.

What forecasters said that day

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 Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 3, 5:43 PM CST, 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 5:43 PM CST, 17 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
543 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012

.CORRECTION TO LONG TERM DISCUSSION...

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 332 PM
CST FRI FEB 3 2012

AN UPPER LEVEL CLOSED LOW OVER FAR EASTERN COLORADO WILL MOVE SLOWLY
EASTWARD INTO CENTRAL KANSAS BY MORNING THEN INTO FAR NORTHEASTERN
KANSAS BY SATURDAY EVENING. AREAS OF RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW
THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS DYNAMIC LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER
LOW COOLS THE LAYER. THE BEST CHANCES FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR
WITH LESSER AMOUNTS FROM SCOTT CITY TO LACROSSE. ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT FROM DODGE CITY AND EAST
TO PRATT AND SOUTH TO THE OKLAHOMA BORDER. NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE
TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY WITH
CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW MAINLY IN THE WARNING AREA.
HAVE REMOVED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM HAMILTON COUNTY EAST
TO HODGEMAN COUNTY AND SOUTH TO MORTON AND SEWARD COUNTIES. HAVE
CANCELLED THE WINTER STORM WARNING FROM SCOTT COUNTY TO NESS COUNTY
AND REPLACED IT WITH A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING
SNOW WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE. ALSO HAVE KEPT THE WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY GOING FOR RUSH COUNTY. WILL KEEP THE CURRENT WINTER STORM
WARNING GOING FOR TREGO AND ELLIS COUNTY.

LOWS TONIGHT WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 20S WEST AND NORTH TO THE MID
30S SOUTHEAST AROUND MEDICINE LODGE. HIGHS ON SATURDAY LOOK TO BE
ONLY IN THE LOW TO MID 30S WEST AND NORTH AROUND 40 AT MEDICINE
LODGE.

.LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 332 PM CST FRI
FEB 3 2012

MEDIUM RANGE MODELS INDICATE A SECONDARY UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW
PRESSURE, REMNANT TO THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL
PLAINS THIS WEEKEND, REDEVELOPING ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN REGION
EARLY IN THE PERIOD. THE GFS, ECMWF, AND MAJORITY OF GFS ENSEMBLE
MEMBERS SHOW THE UPPER LOW TRACKING EAST ACROSS THE ROCKIES MONDAY
AND INTO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS TUESDAY BRINGING THE POSSIBILITY
FOR PRECIP TO PORTIONS OF WESTERN KANSAS BY MID WEEK. AN ATTENDANT
COLD FRONT IS PROJECTED TO PUSH INTO WESTERN KANSAS SOMETIME DURING
THE DAY TUESDAY HELPING INCREASE LOW LEVEL FORCING. HOWEVER, A
PREDOMINANT NORTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS DURING
THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY MONDAY WILL HELP REDUCE ANY AVAILABLE LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE FOR THIS SYSTEM TO WORK WITH. SLIGHT POPS SEEMS
REASONABLE BASED ON THIS FACTOR ALONG WITH THE UNCERTAINTY AS IT
PERTAINS TO THE TIMING OF THE SYSTEM.

TEMPERATURES ARE STILL EXPECTED TO WARM SLIGHTLY SATURDAY INTO
SUNDAY EVEN AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS INTO WESTERN KANSAS
EARLY IN THE PERIOD. THE SURFACE HIGH WILL INFLUENCE A NORTHERLY
LOW LEVEL FLOW ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY SUNDAY
KEEPING H85 TEMPERATURES DOWN TO JUST BELOW 0C ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS. GFS AND ECMWF MODEL SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO
INDICATE DRIER AIR INFILTRATING THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS RESULTING
IN THE LIKELIHOOD OF DECREASING CLOUDINESS. SHOULD SEE HIGHS UP INTO
THE 30S(F) AND LOWER TO MID 40S(F) SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE COOLEST
TEMPERATURES NORTH, PARTICULARLY WHERE LINGERING SNOWPACK MAY BE
PRESENT. FOR MONDAY, SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS PROGGED TO PUSH JUST
OFF TO OUR SOUTHEAST RETURNING A LOW LEVEL SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY
FLOW TO WESTERN KANSAS. ALL MODELS ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT SHOWING H85
TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM AROUND TO JUST ABOVE 0C ACROSS CENTRAL AND
WESTERN KANSAS BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. SO, EXPECT A GRADUAL WARM UP
INTO MONDAY WITH HIGHS MAINLY UP INTO THE 40S(F) NORTH WITH LOWER
50S(F) POSSIBLE ACROSS OUR SOUTH ALONG THE OKLAHOMA BORDER. SLIGHTLY
COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY AS A RESULT
OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT PUSHING ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS MID
WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...UPDATE FOR THE 00Z TAFS
ISSUED AT 512 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012

EXPECT IFR CIGS/VSBYS THROUGH 06Z, WITH MORE MVFR VSBYS AFTER 06Z.
LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS EXTREME
WESTERN KANSAS LATE THIS EVENING AND THEN SPREAD NORTHEASTWARD
ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
SNOW IS LIKELY AT KGCK AND KHYS OVERNIGHT WITH JUST LIGHT SNOW
POSSIBLE AS FAR EAST AS KDDC. IFR VSBYS WILL RETURN WHEN THE SNOW
FORMS. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL FORM ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS
RESULTING IN STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25KT WITH SOME GUSTS
IN EXCESS OF 30KT. THIS COULD RESULT IN BLOWING SNOW CONDITIONS
REDUCING VISIBILITIES DOWN TO IFR CATEGORY AS MENTIONED
BEFORE...MAINLY IN THE VICINITY AND NORTH OF KGCK TO KHYS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DDC  31  34  21  41 /  60  10  10   0
GCK  29  33  19  39 /  50  20  10   0
EHA  29  35  20  42 /  40   0   0   0
LBL  29  36  22  43 /  30   0   0   0
HYS  30  33  20  37 / 100  80  10   0
P28  34  40  25  44 /  60  10   0   0

&&

.DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST SATURDAY FOR KSZ043>046.

WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SATURDAY FOR KSZ030-031.

&&

SHORT TERM...06
LONG TERM....32
AVIATION...12

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 3, 3:54 PM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
354 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012

KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-042200-
TREGO-ELLIS-SCOTT-LANE-NESS-RUSH-HAMILTON-KEARNY-FINNEY-HODGEMAN-
PAWNEE-STAFFORD-STANTON-GRANT-HASKELL-GRAY-FORD-EDWARDS-KIOWA-
PRATT-MORTON-STEVENS-SEWARD-MEADE-CLARK-COMANCHE-BARBER-
354 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012 /254 PM MST FRI FEB 3 2012/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...SOUTH
CENTRAL...SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

RAIN SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM DODGE
CITY TO PRATT AND SOUTH TO MEADE AND MEDICINE LODGE TONIGHT. AREAS
OF RAIN NORTH OF A LINE FROM SYRACUSE TO DODGE CITY AND PRATT WILL
EVENTUALLY CHANGE TO SNOW THIS EVENING. A WINTER STORM WARNING
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ELLIS AND TREGO COUNTIES TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE POSTED FROM SCOTT COUNTY EAST TO
RUSH COUNTY TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER
MESSAGE (WSWDDC) FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

SNOW WILL PERSIST ALONG THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON SATURDAY ALONG WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW. SEE
THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE (WSWDDC) FOR DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ANY SNOWFALL REPORTS.

&&

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC

06

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter weather, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Trego

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Trego forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 38.914, -99.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 6.0 fell in Wakeeney.

Heavy Snow, Trego

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Trego forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 38.914, -99.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 9.3 inches fell at a location 3 miles north-northeast of Voda. Water content in the snow and rain combined was 1.41 inches.

Winter Weather, Ness

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Ness forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 38.479, -99.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 2.0 inches was reported in Ransom.

Winter Weather, Ellis

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.915, -99.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 4.0 inches was reported at a location 6 miles north of Ellis.

Winter Weather, Trego

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Trego forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.914, -99.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 5.0 inches was reported at a location 4 miles north of Ransom.

Winter Weather, Lane

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Lane forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.481, -100.466 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 4.0 inches was reported at a location 4 miles east-southeast of Pendennis.

Winter Weather, Ness

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Ness forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.479, -99.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 3.0 inches was reported at a location 5 miles east of Pendennis.

Winter Weather, Ness

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Ness forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.479, -99.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 5.0 inches was reported at a location 5 miles northeast of Arnold.

Winter Weather, Ness

When: February 3, 6:00 PM CST to February 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Ness forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.479, -99.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 5.0 inches was reported at a location 6 miles northeast of Arnold.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, February 2012

Sources

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: 368473, 368474, 368475, 368476, 368477, 368478, 368479, 368480, 368481.