An especially nasty winter storm that arrived Southeast Kansas the evening of the 20th greatly intensified on the 21st. The vicious winter storm buried Central Kansas with 6 to 13 inches of snow while Southeast Kansas was ravaged by an ice storm in which freezing rain and sleet produced widespread 1/2 to 1 inch accumulations with the greater accumulations occurring along the Oklahoma Border.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 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 ICT wrote it up.
An especially nasty winter storm that arrived Southeast Kansas the evening of the 20th greatly intensified on the 21st. The vicious winter storm buried Central Kansas with 6 to 13 inches of snow while Southeast Kansas was ravaged by an ice storm in which freezing rain and sleet produced widespread 1/2 to 1 inch accumulations with the greater accumulations occurring along the Oklahoma Border. Snowfalls ranging from 3 to 6 inches were common across South-Central Kansas, but prior to the snow's arrival, freezing rain produced 1/4 to 1/2 inch of glaze. Travel across all areas was obviously treacherous if not impossible. No doubt hundreds of accidents occurred with several injuries. One accident in East Wichita involved 10-15 vehicles. The winter storm departed the area the morning of the 22nd.
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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 21, 4:38 AM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 438 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 ...AVIATION UPDATE FOR 12Z TAFS... .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 236 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 STORM SYSTEM OVER NORTHERN MEXICO EARLY THIS MORNING...IS ON TRACK TO EJECT NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY LATE TONIGHT. ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITABLE WATER WAS SURGING NORTHWARD INTO KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA SO MOISTURE IS PLENTIFUL FOR THIS SYSTEM TO WORK WITH. USING A GFS/SREF BLEND FOR WHERE THE DEFORMATION ZONE/TROWAL WILL SET UP ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL THROUGH NORTHEAST KS...WITH THESE MODELS SHOWING THE BEST CONSISTENCY. COUPLED FORCING/INTENSE LIFT WITH THE DEFORMATION ZONE/TROWAL AND UPPER SYSTEM APPROACHING MOVES THROUGH THOSE AREAS THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. AS THIS HAPPENS...A SLEET/FREEZING RAIN MIX WILL CHANGE TO MODERATE-HEAVY SNOW WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES. ACROSS SOUTHEAST KS...THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THIS STORM WILL BE IN THE FORM OF FREEZING RAIN WHERE WE EXPECT 0.25 INCH OR GREATER ICE ACCUMULATIONS WITH THE HIGHER ICING APPEARING MORE LIKELY IN ELEVATED SURFACES...TREES AND POWERLINES. UNTREATED ROADS/OVERPASSES WILL BE SLICK WITH TEMPS IN THE 20S FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. AS COLDER AIR ALOFT SPREADS IN FROM THE WEST...THE FREEZING RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW IN THE SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE FAR SOUTHEAST WILL LIKELY BE LIMITED TO 2 INCHES OR LESS. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE GOING WINTER HEADLINES ARE REASONABLE. THE STORM SYSTEM WILL LIFT NORTHEAST OUT OF THE AREA LATE TONIGHT WITH THE SNOW RAPIDLY ENDING IN SOUTHEAST/EAST CENTRAL KS. MUCH COLDER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL PERSIST SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH THE MAIN UPPER TROUGH STILL MOVING THROUGH THE PLAINS AND ARCTIC SURFACE RIDGING IN PLACE. FLURRIES WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT-MONDAY. JMC .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 236 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 TEMPERATURES ARE THE MAIN CONCERN IN THE EXTENDED. THE GFS AND ECMWF BOTH SHOW MEAN LONGWAVE UPPER TROUGHING DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL/EASTERN CONUS AS UPPER RIDGING BUILDS UP THE WEST COAST. THE MODELS SHOW DIFFERENCES WITH TIMING/AMPLITUDE OF VARIOUS SHORTWAVES SLIDING OUT OF SOUTHWESTERN CANADA INTO THE NORTH CENTRAL CONUS. THE ECMWF WAS NOTICEABLY MORE AMPLIFIED WITH ONE OF THESE SHORTWAVES LATER WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY WHICH WOULD TEND TO MAKE IT COOLER FOR THURSDAY/FRIDAY COMPARED TO THE GFS. WILL CARRY A BLEND OF THESE MODELS FOR NOW WHICH KEEPS TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL MOST OR ALL OF THE WEEK...MOST NOTICEABLY OVER REMNANT SNOWPACKED AREAS. DO NOT SEE ANY STRONG SIGNALS FOR PRECIPITATION AT THIS TIME. JMC && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 437 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 WIDESPREAD FREEZING RAIN MIXED WITH SLEET WILL AFFECT SOUTHEAST KS THIS MORNING...WITH WICHITA ON THE FAR NORTHWEST FRINGE OF THIS PRECIPITATION. SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER FAR SOUTHEAST KS. BY LATE MORNING/MIDDAY...ANTICIPATING A MIX OF SLEET/FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS SOUTHERN/CENTRAL KS...EVENTUALLY AFFECTING WICHITA AND HUTCHINSON. A TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW IS LIKELY FROM WEST TO EAST BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON GENERALLY ALONG/WEST OF THE TURNPIKE CORRIDOR...WITH THIS TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW CONTINUING INTO EASTERN KANSAS DURING THE EVENING...ALTHOUGH FAR SOUTHEAST KS MAY HOLD ONTO MOSTLY FREEZING DRIZZLE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3-7 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG/NORTHWEST OF THE TURNPIKE CORRIDOR BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. IFR/LOW MVFR CIGS OVER SOUTHEAST KS WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD NORTH BY LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH IFR OR LOWER VSBYS EXPECTED WITH THE SNOW. ADK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 29 18 27 5 / 100 90 10 10 HUTCHINSON 28 16 26 5 / 100 90 10 10 NEWTON 28 17 25 4 / 100 90 10 10 ELDORADO 30 17 26 5 / 100 90 10 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 30 19 28 8 / 100 90 10 10 RUSSELL 29 14 27 8 / 60 50 10 10 GREAT BEND 28 15 27 8 / 90 70 10 10 SALINA 29 15 25 6 / 80 90 10 10 MCPHERSON 28 16 25 5 / 100 90 10 10 COFFEYVILLE 31 21 29 10 / 90 90 10 10 CHANUTE 30 20 26 7 / 90 90 10 10 IOLA 30 20 26 7 / 90 90 10 10 PARSONS-KPPF 31 21 28 9 / 90 90 10 10 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY FOR KSZ051>053- 068>072-094>096-098>100. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY FOR KSZ047>050-067- 068-082-083-091>093. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 355 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-221000- RUSSELL-LINCOLN-BARTON-ELLSWORTH-SALINE-RICE-MCPHERSON-MARION-CHASE- RENO-HARVEY-BUTLER-GREENWOOD-WOODSON-ALLEN-KINGMAN-SEDGWICK-HARPER- SUMNER-COWLEY-ELK-WILSON-NEOSHO-CHAUTAUQUA-MONTGOMERY-LABETTE- 355 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT MUCH OF THE AREA TODAY INTO TONIGHT...WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW...SLEET AND ICE. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WIND CHILLS OF ZERO TO 5 BELOW ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...BOTH SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING AND AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER ANY REPORTS OF SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
344 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0323 AM FREEZING RAIN WICHITA 37.69N 97.34W
12/21/2013 E0.00 INCH SEDGWICK KS BROADCAST MEDIA
NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS WERE REPORTED DUE TO LIGHT ICING ON
ROADS MOSTLY IN EAST WICHITA. AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING UP TO
10 TO 15 VEHICLES WAS REPORTED VIA LOCAL MEDIA OUTLET ON
KELLOGG BETWEEN HILLSIDE AND OLIVER STREETS IN WESTBOUND
LANES. DISPATCH INDICATED THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE MAY BE
INJURED IN THIS ACCIDENT.
&&
JMCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
538 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0535 AM FREEZING RAIN 3 NE WINFIELD 37.30N 96.93W
12/21/2013 E0.10 INCH COWLEY KS CO-OP OBSERVER
ESTIMATED ABOUT ONE-TENTH OF AN INCH ICE ACCUMULATION
OVERNIGHT.
&&
ADKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Freezing rain produced major ice accumulations that ranged from 0.75 to 1 inch on roads & highways, 0.50 to 0.75 inch on trees, and 0.50 inch on power lines. No major trees downed, but limbs of unspecified diameter downed all over Sedan.
Freezing rain produced 0.50 inch of ice on vehicles with 0.25 inch on the ground in Oswego.
Freezing rain produced a wide range of ice accumulations, from around 0.25 inch across Southern Montgomery County to nearly 1 inch across Northern Montgomery County. Travel was treacherous.
Freezing rain produced around 0.25 inch of ice in Fredonia.
Ice accumulations up to one half inch plagued the southern half of the county with slightly lower amounts further to the north. Travel was significantly hampered.
The Emergency Manager reported 0.25 inch of ice in Erie.
Ice accumulations ranging from 0.125 inch to 0.25 inch across the county.
The trained spotter reported 0.25 inch of ice 5 miles north of Howard.
Ice accumulations up to one half inch plagued the southern half of the county with slightly lower amounts further to the north. Travel was significantly hampered.
Freezing rain produced 0.50 inch of ice.
Accumulations increased from 8 inches at 20:00 to 10 inches by very early the following morning. CO-OP observers contributed to this report.
Although only 1.8 inches of snow were measured, the light snow accumulated on 0.25 inch of ice from the freezing rain that preceded the light snow.
In Great Bend, accumulations had increased from 6 inches at 19:21 to between 13.5 and 15.5 inches by around 21:00. An off duty NWS employee, amateur radio operators and the public all contributed to this report. A CO-OP observer also measured 10 inches in Ellinwood.
In Salina, accumulations had increased from 8 inches at 20:34 to 12 inches by very early the next morning. Trained spotters also contributed to this report.
Widespread snow amounts of 5 to 9 inches were noted across the county causing significant travel problems.
Widespread snow amounts in the northern part of the county reached up to 6 inches. Amounts varied from 2 to 6 inches elsewhere.
A 7.5 inch accumulation was measured in Sterling.
Accumulations ranging from 6 to 7.5 inches were measured from late in the evening to very early the following morning. A CO-OP observer contributed to this report.
A 6 inch accumulation was measured 4 miles northeast of Murdock.
A 6 inch accumulation was measured in Mt. Hope. A mixture of sleet & freezing rain also occurred in and around Wichita that resulted in numerous accidents, primarily in East Wichita. One accident involved 10 to 15 vehicles with an unspecified number of injuries reported. Law enforcement & broadcast media also contributed to this report.
Widespread snow amounts in the western part of the county reached up to 6 inches. Amounts varied from 2 to 6 inches elsewhere.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, December 2013
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: 489555, 489557, 489560, 489559, 491500, 489566, 489570, 489577, 491497, 489587, 489583, 489604, 489581, 489586, 491491, 491493, 489603, 489593, 489602, 489596, 491495.