A powerful storm system ejected out of the southern Rockies and into the plains on February 21st and brought some of the highest snowfall amounts this area has seen in decades. 2 inches which makes this storm the 2nd worst on record!
Every event with a place to put it; 25 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.
A powerful storm system ejected out of the southern Rockies and into the plains on February 21st and brought some of the highest snowfall amounts this area has seen in decades. As of 7 pm on February 21st the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport has measured a storm total snowfall of 14.2 inches which makes this storm the 2nd worst on record! The highest storm total snowfall for Wichita occurred back in 1962 when a storm dumped 15 inches.
One of the more unique aspects of this storm was the amount of thunder snow that took place during the early morning hours of February 21st.
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 Feb 20, 5:54 AM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 554 AM CST WED FEB 20 2013 .AVIATION...12Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE TO IFR DURING THE DAY AS WINTER STORM APPROACHES. ONSET OF SNOW IS ANTICIPATED AT KRSL/KHUT/KICT ABOUT 1400 UTC WITH A LATE MORNING ARRIVAL AT KSLN. SOME SPRINKLES/VCSH POSSIBLE AT KCNU THIS AFTERNOON...WITH PRECIPITATION STARTING IN EARNEST THIS EVENING. MODELS ALL HINT THAT ALL SITES WILL BE AFFECTED BY MULTIPLE PIECES OF ENERGY THAT WILL MODULATE PRECIPITATION INTENSITY AND THEREFORE CEILINGS/VIBILITIES. WITH SOME MODEL CONTINUITY...HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SHOW THIS TIMING WITH PERIODS OF LIFR IN +SN. A FOOT OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE NEAR KRSL/KSLN... AND KHUT NOT FAR BEHIND. SOME POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE OR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN BASED BRIEF PERIOD OF LOSS OF CLOUD ICE AND/OR SLEET AS WARM NOSE ALOFT APPROACHES. GIVEN PROBABILITY OF OCCURANCE AND ABILITY TO TIME -FZRA/FZDZ AND ITS IMPACT...HAVE OPTED TO ONLY MENTION SLEET AT THIS TIME. -HOWERTON && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 340 AM CST WED FEB 20 2013/ DISCUSSION... FORECAST CONCERNS FOCUS AROUND IMPENDING MAJOR WINTER STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION TODAY-THU...WITH THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION LIKELY OCCURRING LATE WED NIGHT THROUGH THU MORNING. HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL KS...WITH MODERATE ICE ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KS. TODAY-FRIDAY: PREVIOUS FORECASTER HAD AN EXCELLENT HANDLE ON THE SITUATION...AND MODELS CONTINUE TO BE IN GOOD AGREEMENT...SO OVERALL SPIRIT OF THE FORECAST REMAINS UNCHANGED. ONLY CHANGES MADE TO THE HEADLINES WAS TO EXPAND THE WINTER STORM WARNING TO INCLUDE ALL OF FAR SOUTHEAST KS AS WELL...SINCE THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN TRENDING COLDER WITH TIME. INITIAL LEAD WAVE IS EXPECTED TO EJECT ONTO THE PLAINS TODAY...SPREADING WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY. INITIAL VERY DRY LOW-LEVELS WILL SLOW THE ONSET OF SNOW HITTING THE GROUND...BUT STOUT LIFT AND DECENT RATES SHOULD OVERCOME THIS DRY AIR BY MID-MORNING. EXPECTING FIRST WAVE OF PRECIPITATION TO LIFT NORTHEAST THIS MORNING...WITH POSSIBLY ANOTHER WAVE TOWARD LATE AFTERNOON. THINKING 1-2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY GENERALLY WEST OF THE FLINT HILLS. COULD ALSO SEE AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON AS CLOUD ICE IS PERIODICALLY LOST. THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AFTER MIDNIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST THU MORNING...AS A POWERFUL NEGATIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE EJECTS NORTHEAST ACROSS THE PLAINS. MODELS CONTINUE TO TREND JUST A TAD SLOWER AND FURTHER SOUTH WITH THIS SYSTEM...RESULTING IN A SLIGHT DELAYED ONSET OF THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION. LOOKING LIKE CENTRAL KS (GENERALLY ALONG/NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50) WILL LIKELY SEE MOSTLY SNOW. GIVEN THE PROLONGED DEEP AND INTENSE LIFT IN THE SNOW GROWTH ZONE ALONG WITH DECENT LAPSE RATES...EXPECTED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY BE QUITE HEFTY...RANGING FROM 10-15 INCHES OVER CENTRAL KS...GENERALLY ALONG/NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50. MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS EVEN HIGHER AMOUNTS THAN THIS...BUT SINCE MODELS TEND TO OVER-FORECAST SNOW AMOUNTS...WILL PLAY THE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH. FURTHER SOUTH OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KS...A MIX OF SNOW-SLEET-FREEZING RAIN IS MORE LIKELY. WITH THE SYSTEM TRENDING A TAD FURTHER SOUTH AND COLDER...THINKING BRUNT OF FREEZING RAIN AND ASSOCIATED ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE CONFINED TO FAR SOUTHERN KS...GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM WICHITA-EL DORADO-IOLA-YATES CENTER...WHERE AROUND ONE-QUARTER INCH ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE CORRIDOR FROM ROUGHLY KINGMAN TO WICHITA AND UP THE TURNPIKE SHOULD SEE SNOW/SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF 4-8 INCHES...WITH SOME ICE ACCUMULATIONS AS WELL. WITH MORE ICE THAN SNOW OVER SOUTHEAST KS...SNOW/SLEET ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM ROUGHLY 1-4 INCHES. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN WINDING DOWN THU AFTERNOON. AS WITH EVERY WINTER STORM...THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON EXACTLY WHERE THE RAIN/SNOW/SLEET/FREEZING RAIN LINES WILL SET UP. THESE TRANSITION ZONES WILL LIKELY BE FAIRLY NARROW...SO ANY MINOR SHIFTS IN THE APPROACHING SYSTEM WILL CREATE VERY DIFFERENT PRECIPITATION-TYPE OUTCOMES. THE CURRENT FORECAST INCLUDES THE HIGHEST CONFIDENCE AREAS AT THIS TIME. THE NEXT FORECAST UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED BY MID/LATE AFTERNOON. SATURDAY-TUESDAY: UNSETTLED PERIOD WITH ISSUES OF POTENTIALLY LINGERING SNOWPACK ACROSS CENTRAL KS EARLY IN THE PERIOD AFFECTING TEMPS...AND UNCERTAIN EVOLUTION OF RELOADING WESTERN US LONGWAVE. BOTH GFS/ECMWF HAVE SHOWN CONSIDERABLE RUN TO RUN AND MODEL TO MODEL VARIABILITY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL RUNS...LEADING TO A BELOW NORMAL CONFIDENCE IN FORECAST. THE ECMWF HAS BEEN CONSISTENT SHOWING PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL FOR SUN NIGHT-TUE...ASSOCIATED WITH LARGE WOUND UP SURFACE LOW AS SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVE MOVES INTO THE PLAINS. ITS SOLUTIONS RANGE FROM A BRIEF PERIOD OF WARM SECTOR RAIN AND DRY SLOT...TO SOME WITH SURFACE LOW DRIFTING OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS COULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT SNOW IN NORTHERN SECTIONS. HOWEVER GFS SOLUTIONS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE...THE SURFACE LOW AT 0600 UTC MON RANGES FROM NEAR MSP TO DFW. GRANTED THE LAST TWO RUNS HAVE HAD THE LOW NEAR OMA. GIVEN MEAGER CONTINUITY OF ECMWF...WILL KEEP CONSENSUS PRECIPITATION PRETTY MUCH GOING WITH MINOR TWEAKS TO TEMPERATURES...GENERALLY A BIT WARMER IN THE SOUTH/COOLER IN THE NORTH...AND ATTEMPTING TO HEDGE PRECIPITATION TYPE FORECAST BASED ON THICKNESSES/SURFACE TEMPERATURES. HOWERTON && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 29 28 32 13 / 80 100 100 20 HUTCHINSON 28 26 29 10 / 80 100 100 20 NEWTON 28 26 30 11 / 60 100 100 30 ELDORADO 29 27 32 13 / 60 100 100 30 WINFIELD-KWLD 31 30 36 14 / 80 100 100 10 RUSSELL 26 23 24 4 / 80 100 100 40 GREAT BEND 27 24 26 5 / 80 100 100 20 SALINA 28 24 26 9 / 70 100 100 50 MCPHERSON 28 25 28 10 / 70 100 100 30 COFFEYVILLE 37 30 38 20 / 60 100 100 20 CHANUTE 35 28 34 18 / 30 100 100 40 IOLA 34 27 33 18 / 30 100 100 50 PARSONS-KPPF 37 29 37 18 / 40 100 100 30 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR KSZ052-053-069>072-093>096-098>100. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR KSZ032-033- 047>051-067-068-082-083-091-092. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 434 AM CST WED FEB 20 2013 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-211045- 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- 434 AM CST WED FEB 20 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A MAJOR WINTER STORM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY...PRODUCING HEAVY SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS...AND A WINTRY MIX OF ACCUMULATING SNOW AND ICE ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER STORM WARNING AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR DETAILS. SUB-ZERO WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING GENERALLY NORTHWEST OF THE TURNPIKE. A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL AND PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS APPEAR POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME OVER MAINLY CENTRAL KANSAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP ADK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
25 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 18 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 15 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 13 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
A wintry mix fell across the county throughout the event. Heavy snow with totals up to 6 inches were noted along with intermittent sleet and freezing rain. Travel across the area was treacherous.
The county had to deal with a nasty wintry mix of snow between 2 and 5 inches, sleet, and freezing rain. Travel across the county was treacherous.
Heavy snow up to 6 inches was noted in the far northwestern section of the county. The rest of the county had to deal with a nasty wintry mix of snow between 1 and 6 inches, sleet, and freezing rain. Travel across the county was treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 14 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
A new record snow fall amount of 14.2 inches occurred at the airport which made it the 2nd worst snowstorm on record.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 13 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 10 inches in depth. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 12 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 12 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 10 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 12 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 13 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 10 inches in depth. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
A wide range of wintry precipitation fell across the county. Heavy snow with amounts accumulating up to 6 inches was noted in the far northwestern sections. While a wintry mix of snow, sleet up to one inch deep, and intermittent freezing rain were noted further to the south. Travel conditions were treacherous across the county.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 12 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 14 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 14 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 16 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 8 inches in depth. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
A wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain caused for very difficult driving conditions across the county. Snow amounts of up to 5 inches combined with sleet accumulations up to one inch and intermittent freezing rain to create several traveling problems.
The county had to deal with a nasty wintry mix of snow between 1 and 4 inches, sleet up to one inch deep, and to top it off, several periods of freezing rain. Travel across the county was treacherous.
Moderate to heavy snow fell through out the day and evening hours accumulating to very impressive amounts. A few locations saw snow totals up to 16 inches in depth. However, some drifts were much deeper between 2 and 3 feet. Travel across the area was very treacherous.
A wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain caused for very difficult driving conditions across the county. Snow amounts of up to 5 inches combined with sleet accumulations up to one inch and intermittent freezing rain to create several traveling problems.
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, February 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: 427950, 427952, 427949, 427959, 427962, 427961, 427956, 427957, 427958, 427931, 427935, 427933, 427934, 427937, 427960, 427965, 427938, 427941, 427943, 427948, 427966, 427971, 427964, 427946, 427969.