Drought in Kansas, January 1 to 31, 2013

Name: Drought in Kansas, January 1 to 31, 2013
Start: 2013-01-01T00:00
End: 2013-01-31T23:59
Location: Kansas

January 1 to 31, 2013 · NWS GID · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

S. Drought Monitor, January marked the eighth consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought across this six-county portion of North Central Kansas, as one of the worst droughts since the 1950s, which took hold during the summer of 2012, continued into the new year.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 6

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 GID wrote it up.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, January marked the eighth consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought across this six-county portion of North Central Kansas, as one of the worst droughts since the 1950s, which took hold during the summer of 2012, continued into the new year. Despite the second consecutive month of at least slightly above normal precipitation in most spots, all six counties remained under a federally-designated drought disaster. According to weekly issuances of the U.S. Drought Monitor there was essentially no change whatsoever in drought classification during the month. Category D4 exceptional drought (the worst-possible classification) remained firmly in place across Phillips and Rooks counties along with the majority of Smith and Osborne counties. Farther east, a mix of category D2 severe and category D3 extreme drought persisted in Jewell and Mitchell Counties. Based on reports from around 20 NWS cooperative observers, and also incorporating radar-derived estimation, most of the area realized above normal precipitation in January (per normals generally between 0.40-0.70). Some of this above normal precipitation was tied to a widespread 2-5 snowfall from the 29th-30th. Per NWS cooperative observers, a few of the highest January precipitation totals featured 1.36 near Covert in rural Osborne County, 1.19 at Mankato and 1.06 near Alton. On the lower side of monthly totals, although still near normal to slightly above normal, were sites such as Logan (0.38), near Long Island (0.48) and Phillipsburg (0.50).

Despite the encouraging recent development of above normal precipitation during December and January, this trend did little to ease serious drought conditions. This is largely due to the fact that winter precipitation events generally account for less than 10 percent of total annual precipitation, thus minimizing the effect of even major snow storms on drought relief. The USDA Kansas Crop Progress and Condition report for January indicated little change since December, with the state-averaged winter wheat crop averaging 35 to 40 percent poor to very poor, and only around 20% good to excellent. State-averaged range and pasture conditions remained over 80% poor to very poor, and hay and forage and stock water supplies continued to check in between 70-80% short to very short.

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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 11:29 PM CST, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 31, 11:29 PM CST, 31 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1129 PM CST MON DEC 31 2012

.AVIATION...06Z KGRI TAF...MVFR TO IFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE
IN ACROSS KGRI OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR SO AS UPSTREAM OBS AND
SATELLITE IMAGERY BOTH INDICATING A LOW STRATUS DECK APPROACHING
THE TERMINAL. EXPECT THESE LOW CIGS ALONG WITH SOME BR TO PERSIST
THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH SOME IMPROVEMENT AFTER DAYBREAK
AS CIGS LIFT AND STRATUS DECK BEGINS TO THIN. WINDS OVERNIGHT WILL
BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE...EVENTUALLY BECOMING SOUTHWESTERLY NEAR
10KTS IN RESPONSE TO SURFACE RIDGE SHIFTING FURTHER SOUTHEASTWARD
BY LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 938 PM CST MON DEC 31 2012/

UPDATE...THE HEAVIER SNOW HAS TAPERED OFF ACROSS SOUTHERN
NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AS THE BETTER DYNAMICS WITH
UPPER JET AND MID LEVEL TROUGH SHIFT SOUTHEASTWARD. THIS BEING
SAID...LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE HOWEVER INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS
AS WEAKER FORCING REMAINS IN A TROUGHY PATTERN ACROSS THE INTERIOR
CONUS. OUR SOUTHERN ZONES COULD PICK UP ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL
ACCUMULATIONS AROUND A HALF INCH OR SO BY DAYBREAK ON NEW YEARS
DAY. THESE ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW AMOUNTS ARE MINOR COMPARED TO
AMOUNTS OF UP TO NEARLY 8 INCHES WHICH FELL EARLIER TODAY ACROSS
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. WITH THE BRUNT OF THE STORM
PASSED...AND ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...WILL
GO AHEAD AND DROP THE WINTER STORM WARNING AND WINTER WEATHER
HEADLINES.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 355 PM CST MON DEC 31 2012/

SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY.

MAIN CHALLENGE WILL BE SNOW TOTALS AND ENDING TIME OF SNOW.

STILL QUITE A BIT OF BANDING OCCURRING IN OUR NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
COUNTIES AND A BIT INTO OUR FAR SOUTH NEBRASKA COUNTIES...AS WE GET
REPORTS OF NEAR 6 INCHES AND A BIT MORE IN SOME SPOTS OF NORTH
CENTRAL KANSAS. I IMAGINE THAT WE COULD GET A LOCALIZED 7 OR 8 INCHES
WITHIN HEAVIER BANDS AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE. WENT WITH A VERY
TIGHT PRECIPITATION CHANCE GRADIENT THAT EVENTUALLY SHOVES SOUTH AS
THE WAVE MOVES OUT. SREF ENSEMBLES SEEM TO HAVE A FAIRLY DECENT
HANDLE WITH THE SHIFT IN CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION TO THE SOUTH
TONIGHT. MID-LEVEL FRONTOGENETIC AND DIVERGENT Q VECTORS AT 300 TO
500 MB INDICATE A SHUTOFF OF MOST SNOW BY MIDNIGHT...ALTHOUGH THERE
COULD BE SOME LINGERING LIGHT SNOW/FLURRY ACTIVITY LATE NIGHT INTO
EARLY MORNING FRIDAY AS THE LAST OF SIGNIFICANT SMALL PERTURBATION
ROUND THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES OUT...ALTHOUGH IT STILL COULD BE A
BIT TROUGHY LATER IN THE DAY AND KEPT SKY COVER A LITTLE HIGHER AND
A LITTLE LONGER COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. GOING CLOSE TO
GUIDANCE FOR LOWS TONIGHT AND HIGHS TOMORROW...EXCEPT LOWER
TEMPERATURES IN THE SOUTH WHERE HEAVIER SNOW HAS FALLEN.

LONG TERM...TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH NEXT MONDAY. COMPARED TO THE
ONGOING WINTER STORM DESCRIBED ABOVE...THERE REALLY ISN/T A WHOLE
LOT OF WEATHER ANTICIPATED DURING THIS 6-DAY PERIOD. ALTHOUGH A FEW
INSTANCES OF FLURRIES OR BARELY-MEASURABLE SNOW ARE NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION...THERE ARE CERTAINLY NO MAJOR STORMS IN THE FORESEEABLE
FUTURE...AND AT LEAST FOR NOW ALL MENTION OF PRECIP HAS BEEN KEPT
OUT OF THE FORECAST. ONE OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES THESE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS WILL BE DETERMINING HOW MUCH EFFECT THE FRESH SNOWPACK HAS ON
TEMPS ESPECIALLY IN KS ZONES.

STARTING OFF TUESDAY EVENING/NIGHT...HAVE VERY HIGH CONFIDENCE IN
A PRECIP-FREE EVENING...ALTHOUGH AFTER MIDNIGHT SUPPOSE A FEW
FLURRIES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION AS A QUICK MOVING BAND OF
SATURATION IN THE 850-700MB LAYER SWINGS SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA
IN ASSOCIATION WITH A SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIVING SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE
NORTHERN PLAINS. WITH THIS STILL BEING 3 PERIODS AWAY AND
ESSENTIALLY NO EXPECTED IMPACT ANYWAY...WILL DEFER TO FUTURE
SHIFTS TO POSSIBLY ADD A FLURRY MENTION. TEMP-WISE...HOURLY TRENDS
WILL BE A BIT OF A CHALLENGE TUES NIGHT...AS INCREASING CLOUDS
THROUGH THE NIGHT ALONG WITH SLIGHTLY ENHANCED WESTERLY WINDS
BEHIND A PASSING TROUGH AXIS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO AT LEAST A MODEST
RISING TREND BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND SUNRISE...AND THUS HAVE
INTRODUCED A NON-DIURNAL CURVE. AS A RESULT...MUCH OF THE CWA WILL
LIKELY BOTTOM OUT A FEW HOURS EITHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT...AND HAVE
KEPT ACTUAL LOWS SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS WITH MOST AREAS IN THE 6-12
RANGE.

WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE AFOREMENTIONED CLIPPER-TYPE UPPER
SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE SLIDING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE UPPER/MID
MISSOURI VALLEY REGION. ANTICIPATE QUITE A BIT OF LOWER STRATUS TO
SPILL SOUTHWARD OVER THE CWA IN THE CYCLONIC FLOW REGIME...AND
HAVE BUMPED UP SKY COVER INTO MOSTLY CLOUDY TERRITORY ACROSS MUCH
OF THE CWA DURING THIS TIME. ALONG THESE SAME LINES...SOME PASSING
FLURRIES OR EVEN SOME VERY LIGHT MEASURABLE SNOW CANNOT BE RULED
OUT DURING THIS TIME FRAME...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 92 IN
NEBRASKA...BUT AGAIN FEEL THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF TIME LEFT TO
INTRODUCE LOW-IMPACT FLURRY TYPE WORDING IF NEED BE SO WILL HOLD
OFF FOR NOW. TEMP-WISE...MAIN CHANGE WAS TO BUMP DOWN HIGHS A FEW
DEGREES OVER KS ZONES WHERE THE DEEPEST FRESH SNOWPACK WILL
RESIDE...AND NOW HAVE HIGHS RANGING FROM NEAR 30 IN MOST NEB
ZONES...AND MORE SO MID-UPPER 20S IN KS. SUSTAINED BREEZES WILL
AVERAGE AROUND 15 MPH THROUGH THE DAY...WITH GUSTS TO OVER 20 MPH
LIKELY AT TIMES ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-80. FOR WED NIGHT...ACTUALLY
NUDGED UP LOWS A BIT MAINLY IN NORTHEAST ZONES DUE TO EXPECTED
CLOUD COVER...WITH MOST AREAS 12-14 VERSUS SINGLE DIGITS.

THURSDAY/THURS NIGHT...CONFIDENCE IS RATHER HIGH THAT EVEN
FLURRIES WILL BE HARD TO COME BY...AS BOTH THE 12Z ECMWF/GFS
DEPICT A BROAD RIDGING PATTERN ALOFT...IN THE WAKE OF THE
SHORTWAVE TROUGH DEPARTING QUICKLY TOWARD THE TN VALLEY REGION.
THIS CONTINUES TO LOOK LIKE THE OVERALL COLDEST DAY OF THE
WEEK...AND OTHER THAN TWEAKING DOWN HIGHS SLIGHTLY OVER THE
HEAVIEST SNOW AREAS...KEPT HIGHS SIMILAR WITH NO MORE THAN LOW-MID
20S ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA.

FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT...THERE IS GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT ON A
PROGRESSIVE SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPPING OUT OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS...BUT AT LEAST FOR NOW NEITHER THE
ECMWF/GFS ARE GENERATING ANY QPF WITH THIS WAVE THANKS TO A DRY
MOISTURE PROFILE. WITH SURFACE BREEZES TRANSITIONING TO
WEST-SOUTHWEST...SHOULD SEE AT LEAST A SOLID 5-8 DEGREE WARM-UP
VERSUS THURSDAY...AND WILL CONTINUE TO AIM FOR HIGHS RIGHT AROUND
30 MOST AREAS.

SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT...MODELS CONTINUE DRY DESPITE THE
AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE TROUGH PASSING OVERHEAD AND THEN OFF TO
THE SOUTHEAST. WITH LOW LEVEL FLOW REMAINING PREDOMINANTLY
WESTERLY...WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW A SLOW WARMING TREND OVER
PREVIOUS DAY...AND HAVE KEPT SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS WITH LOW-MID 30S
CWA-WIDE.

SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT...THE ECWMF SOLUTION DEPICTS A BRIEF PERIOD OF
SHORTWAVE RIDGING GIVING WAY TO YET ANOTHER PROGRESSIVE SHORTWAVE
TROUGH ENTERING THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT..BUT AGAIN THIS DOES NOT
APPEAR TO BE A PRECIP-MAKER. HIGH-TEMP-WISE...WILL KEEP THE SLOW
BUT STEADY WARMING TREND GOING...WITH MID-UPPER 30S ALL AREAS.

FINALLY FOR MONDAY...THE ECWMF SHOWS A DRY SHORTWAVE TROUGH
PASSAGE...WITH WESTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW KEEPING TEMPS CREEPING UP
CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE 40 MARK.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 31, 9:39 PM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
939 PM CST MON DEC 31 2012

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-
012000-
PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-
SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-
GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN-
WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER-
939 PM CST MON DEC 31 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

LIGHT SNOW WILL LINGER INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS NORTHERN KANSAS
AND FAR SOUTHERN NEBRASKA. ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
AROUND ONE HALF INCH ARE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT THEIR SNOWFALL TOTALS.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 31, 8:02 PM CST, 3 hours 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
802 PM CST MON DEC 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0801 PM     HEAVY SNOW       1 N BURR OAK            39.88N 98.30W
12/31/2012  M5.5 INCH        JEWELL             KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

            UPDATED SNOWFALL AMOUNT AS OF 8 PM CST.

&&

GUERRERO

Local storm report, Dec 31, 9:56 PM CST, 2 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
956 PM CST MON DEC 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1110 AM     SNOW             CAWKER CITY             39.51N 98.43W
12/31/2012  E2.0 INCH        MITCHELL           KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

1125 AM     SNOW             17 SSE OSBORNE          39.21N 98.58W
12/31/2012  E3.0 INCH        OSBORNE            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

1129 AM     SNOW             RED CLOUD               40.09N 98.52W
12/31/2012  E1.0 INCH        WEBSTER            NE   CO-OP OBSERVER

            AT LEAST 1 INCH SO FAR

1129 AM     SNOW             FRANKLIN                40.10N 98.95W
12/31/2012  E3.0 INCH        FRANKLIN           NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ESTIMATED 2-3 INCHES SO FAR

1130 AM     SNOW             BELOIT                  39.47N 98.11W
12/31/2012  E4.0 INCH        MITCHELL           KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

1130 AM     SNOW             4 WNW PLAINVILLE        39.26N 99.37W
12/31/2012  E3.0 INCH        ROOKS              KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

1137 AM     SNOW             NELSON                  40.20N 98.07W
12/31/2012  E1.0 INCH        NUCKOLLS           NE   CO-OP OBSERVER

            1 INCH SO FAR

1139 AM     SNOW             1 N BURR OAK            39.88N 98.30W
12/31/2012  E1.5 INCH        JEWELL             KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

1148 AM     SNOW             OSBORNE                 39.44N 98.70W
12/31/2012  E4.0 INCH        OSBORNE            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

1148 AM     SNOW             HEBRON                  40.17N 97.59W
12/31/2012  E2.0 INCH        THAYER             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

1148 AM     SNOW             SMITH CENTER            39.78N 98.78W
12/31/2012  E2.0 INCH        SMITH              KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

1151 AM     SNOW             PHILLIPSBURG AIRPORT    39.74N 99.32W
12/31/2012  E1.0 INCH        PHILLIPS           KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

            AT LEAST 1 INCH SO FAR

1246 PM     SNOW             1 N BURR OAK            39.88N 98.30W
12/31/2012  M2.8 INCH        JEWELL             KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

1252 PM     SNOW             CARLETON                40.30N 97.67W
12/31/2012  E2.0 INCH        THAYER             NE   PUBLIC

            2 INCHES OF SNOWFALL SINCE 815AM. CURRENT VIS IS A 1/2
            MILE

0156 PM     SNOW             ALMA                    40.10N 99.36W
12/31/2012  E1.0 INCH        HARLAN             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            VIS 1/2 MILE WITH AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND.

0217 PM     HEAVY SNOW       BELOIT                  39.47N 98.11W
12/31/2012  M6.0 INCH        MITCHELL           KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

0225 PM     SNOW             STOCKTON                39.44N 99.27W
12/31/2012  E5.0 INCH        ROOKS              KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0229 PM     SNOW             PHILLIPSBURG            39.75N 99.32W
12/31/2012  E4.0 INCH        PHILLIPS           KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

0230 PM     HEAVY SNOW       SMITH CENTER            39.78N 98.78W
12/31/2012  M6.5 INCH        SMITH              KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

0232 PM     SNOW             OSBORNE                 39.44N 98.70W
12/31/2012  E5.0 INCH        OSBORNE            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0236 PM     SNOW             ALMA                    40.10N 99.36W
12/31/2012  E3.0 INCH        HARLAN             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ESTIMATED 3 INCHES SO FAR

0237 PM     SNOW             BEAVER CITY             40.14N 99.83W
12/31/2012  M0.5 INCH        FURNAS             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0240 PM     SNOW             RED CLOUD               40.09N 98.52W
12/31/2012  E4.0 INCH        WEBSTER            NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0243 PM     SNOW             NELSON                  40.20N 98.07W
12/31/2012  E2.0 INCH        NUCKOLLS           NE   CO-OP OBSERVER

0244 PM     SNOW             HEBRON                  40.17N 97.59W
12/31/2012  E4.0 INCH        THAYER             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0244 PM     SNOW             FRANKLIN                40.10N 98.95W
12/31/2012  M2.5 INCH        FRANKLIN           NE   CO-OP OBSERVER

0304 PM     SNOW             GENEVA                  40.53N 97.60W
12/31/2012  E1.5 INCH        FILLMORE           NE   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SNOWFALL SO FAR

0317 PM     HEAVY SNOW       17 SSE OSBORNE          39.21N 98.58W
12/31/2012  E6.0 INCH        OSBORNE            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HEAVY SNOW FALLING. VISIBILITY LESS THAN ONE HALF MILE.

0340 PM     SNOW             DAMAR                   39.32N 99.58W
12/31/2012  E4.0 INCH        ROOKS              KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

0352 PM     SNOW             1 N BURR OAK            39.88N 98.30W
12/31/2012  M4.0 INCH        JEWELL             KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

            4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL THUS FAR. STARTED AT ROUGHLY 8 AM
            CST. 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY AT THIS TIME.

0417 PM     SNOW             NELSON                  40.20N 98.07W
12/31/2012  M3.6 INCH        NUCKOLLS           NE   CO-OP OBSERVER

0500 PM     SNOW             GENEVA                  40.53N 97.60W
12/31/2012  M2.0 INCH        FILLMORE           NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

0524 PM     HEAVY SNOW       SMITH CENTER            39.78N 98.78W
12/31/2012  M7.5 INCH        SMITH              KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

0801 PM     HEAVY SNOW       1 N BURR OAK            39.88N 98.30W
12/31/2012  M5.5 INCH        JEWELL             KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

            UPDATED SNOWFALL AMOUNT AS OF 8 PM CST.

&&

THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET
CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE
FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.

SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT

 INCHES  LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           TIME
 ------  -----------------------  --  --------------   -------
  7.50   SMITH CENTER             KS  SMITH            0524 PM
  6.50   SMITH CENTER             KS  SMITH            0230 PM
  6.00   17 SSE OSBORNE           KS  OSBORNE          0317 PM
                 HEAVY SNOW FALLING. VISIBILITY LESS THAN ONE
                 HALF MILE.
  6.00   BELOIT                   KS  MITCHELL         0217 PM
  5.50   1 N BURR OAK             KS  JEWELL           0801 PM
                 UPDATED SNOWFALL AMOUNT AS OF 8 PM CST.
  5.00   OSBORNE                  KS  OSBORNE          0232 PM
  5.00   STOCKTON                 KS  ROOKS            0225 PM
  4.00   1 N BURR OAK             KS  JEWELL           0352 PM
                 4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL THUS FAR. STARTED AT
                 ROUGHLY 8 AM CST. 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY AT THIS
                 TIME.
  4.00   DAMAR                    KS  ROOKS            0340 PM
  4.00   HEBRON                   NE  THAYER           0244 PM
  4.00   RED CLOUD                NE  WEBSTER          0240 PM
  4.00   PHILLIPSBURG             KS  PHILLIPS         0229 PM
  4.00   OSBORNE                  KS  OSBORNE          1148 AM
  4.00   BELOIT                   KS  MITCHELL         1130 AM
  3.60   NELSON                   NE  NUCKOLLS         0417 PM
  3.00   ALMA                     NE  HARLAN           0236 PM
                 ESTIMATED 3 INCHES SO FAR
  3.00   4 WNW PLAINVILLE         KS  ROOKS            1130 AM
  3.00   FRANKLIN                 NE  FRANKLIN         1129 AM
                 ESTIMATED 2-3 INCHES SO FAR
  3.00   17 SSE OSBORNE           KS  OSBORNE          1125 AM
  2.80   1 N BURR OAK             KS  JEWELL           1246 PM
  2.50   FRANKLIN                 NE  FRANKLIN         0244 PM
  2.00   GENEVA                   NE  FILLMORE         0500 PM
  2.00   NELSON                   NE  NUCKOLLS         0243 PM
  2.00   CARLETON                 NE  THAYER           1252 PM
                 2 INCHES OF SNOWFALL SINCE 815AM. CURRENT VIS
                 IS A 1/2 MILE
  2.00   SMITH CENTER             KS  SMITH            1148 AM
  2.00   HEBRON                   NE  THAYER           1148 AM
  2.00   CAWKER CITY              KS  MITCHELL         1110 AM
  1.50   GENEVA                   NE  FILLMORE         0304 PM
                 SNOWFALL SO FAR
  1.50   1 N BURR OAK             KS  JEWELL           1139 AM
  1.00   ALMA                     NE  HARLAN           0156 PM
                 VIS 1/2 MILE WITH AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE
                 GROUND.
  1.00   PHILLIPSBURG AIRPORT     KS  PHILLIPS         1151 AM
                 AT LEAST 1 INCH SO FAR
  1.00   NELSON                   NE  NUCKOLLS         1137 AM
                 1 INCH SO FAR
  1.00   RED CLOUD                NE  WEBSTER          1129 AM
                 AT LEAST 1 INCH SO FAR
  0.50   BEAVER CITY              NE  FURNAS           0237 PM

FAY

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Jewell

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jewell forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.785, -98.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mitchell

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Mitchell forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.393, -98.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Osborne

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Osborne forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.350, -98.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Phillips

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Phillips forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.785, -99.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rooks

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rooks forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.350, -99.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Smith

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Smith forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.785, -98.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, January 2013

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: 429445, 429446, 429447, 429448, 429449, 429450.