A early spring winter storm clobbered parts of northeast and east central Kansas with anywhere from 5 to as much as 9 inches of heavy wet snow. The snow began to fall during the late afternoon on the 23rd and intensified overnight.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
A early spring winter storm clobbered parts of northeast and east central Kansas with anywhere from 5 to as much as 9 inches of heavy wet snow. The snow began to fall during the late afternoon on the 23rd and intensified overnight. The snow ended across the area by around noon on the 24th. North winds of 20 to 30 mph produced widespread blowing and drifting of snow into the 24th especially in the outlying, rural areas.
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 23, 2:13 PM CST, 1 hour 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 313 PM CDT SAT MAR 23 2013 .DISCUSSION... 20Z WATER VAPOR SHOWS A SHORTWAVE OVER THE CO ROCKIES DIGGING SOUTHEAST. A SURFACE LOW WAS LOCATED OVER THE EASTERN NM HIGH PLAINS WITH A BROAD AND WEAK SURFACE RIDGE FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE GREAT LAKES. THE LITTLE BIT OF INSOLATION WE HAVE RECEIVED COUPLED WITH NEUTRAL OR WEAK WARM AIR ADVECTION HAS HELPED WARM TEMPS INTO THE MID AND UPPER 30S. AREA OF SNOW AND RAIN OVER EASTERN KS IS EVIDENCE OF LARGE SCALE FORCING SPREADING OVER EASTERN KS. FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...THE MODELS HAVE TRENDED SLIGHTLY SOUTH WITH THE TRACK OF THE UPPER WAVE...WHICH SEEMS TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. BECAUSE OF THIS THE LOCATION OF THE HEAVIER SNOWFALL IS NOW SHIFTED TO THE SOUTHEAST. THERE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE GOOD LARGE SCALE FORCING THROUGH THE EVENING SO HAVE MAINTAINED THE 100 PERCENT POPS OVERNIGHT...AND SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS THIS EVENING. MODELS POINT TO THE STRONGEST VERTICAL MOTION BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 7AM AS THE DIFFLUENCE AND DEFORMATION ZONE OF THE UPPER WAVE PASS OVERHEAD...PUTTING EAST CENTRAL KANSAS IN THE MOST LIKELY AREA TO RECEIVE THE HIGHER SNOW AMOUNTS. THEREFORE THINK A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS STILL LIKELY TO DEVELOP WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A COUNCIL GROVE TO HIAWATHA LINE. NORTH WINDS ARE GOING TO INCREASE AND GUST TO AROUND 30 MPH. HOWEVER GIVEN HOW WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES ARE AND THE WET NATURE OF THE SNOW...DRIFTING SNOW MAY BE MUTED A BIT. VISIBILITIES ARE PROBABLY GOING TO STILL BE LOWERED TO LESS THAN A MILE IN THE BANDS OF HEAVY SNOW. BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED ACCUMULATIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND REDUCED SNOW AMOUNTS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOW FORECAST TO BE 3 TO 5 INCHES WHICH MAY BE A LITTLE ON THE HIGH SIDE. THIS IS FOR AREA GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A HERINGTON TO SENECA LINE. A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS...FOR THE AREAS MENTION ABOVE. WITH COLD AIR ADVECTION INCREASING OVERNIGHT...LOWS SHOULD FALL INTO THE MID AND UPPER 20S. THE COLD AIR ADVECTION CONTINUES THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY. THIS COMBINED WITH OVERCAST SKIES SHOULD KEEP AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 30S. WOLTERS SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...SECONDARY LOBE OF ENERGY CONTINUES TO ROTATE AROUND THE BACK OF THE UPPER LOW AND INTO THE FORECAST AREA ON MONDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS IN MIXED LOW LEVELS EXPECTED IN THE UPPER TEENS TO 20S. MAY BE ENOUGH LIFT AND MOISTURE FOR SOME FLURRIES MONDAY AFTERNOON BUT ACCUMULATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. HIGHS MONDAY IN THE LOW TO MID 30S. SKIES SLOWLY CLEAR MONDAY NIGHT AND GIVEN LIGHT WINDS AS THE SURFACE HIGH PASSES OVER WILL SEE ANOTHER NIGHT IN THE TEENS TO LOW 20S. WARMING BACK TO THE UPPER 30S NEAR 40 AS SOUTHERLY FLOW RETURNS TO THE SURFACE AND WAA ALSO RETURNS. WEAK SHORTWAVE PROGGED TO CROSS ALONG OUR NORTHERN BORDER ON WEDNESDAY BUT SIGNAL IS WEAK ATTM AND WILL NOT YET ADD POPS. MAY BE ABLE TO REACH HIGHS NEAR 50 BY LATE AFTERNOON. THURS-SAT A BIT UNSETTLED WITH MODEL DIFFERENCES IN PLACEMENT OF A FRONT ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. COULD SEE A RETURN OF PRECIPITATION THURSDAY AS ANOTHER WAVE MOVES OVER THE BOUNDARY IN EASTERN KS. EC KEEPS FRONT SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WITH SOME REINFORCEMENT FROM THE UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS EASTERN CANADA AND PUSHING COLDER AIR SOUTH. GFS A BIT FARTHER NORTH WITH THE BOUNDARY FRIDAY BUT DROPS IT SOUTHWARD ON SATURDAY. MAY BE SEEING A WARM BIAS IN THE HIGH TEMPERATURES BY THE LATE WEEK AND WEEKEND. HAVE GONE MIDDLE TO UPPER 50S BUT COULD BE SLIGHTLY COOLER DEPENDING ON WHERE THE FRONT ENDS UP AND ANY DYNAMIC COOLING FROM RAINFALL. 67 && .AVIATION... CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE AS LARGE SCALE FORCING FROM THE SHORTWAVE OVER THE CO ROCKIES CONTINUES TO SPREAD OVER NORTHEAST KS. BASED ON NAM AND RAP FORECAST SOUNDINGS...PRECIP IS EXPECTED TO INITIALLY BE MIXED WITH A CHANGE TO SN BY 00Z. BEST VERTICAL MOTION LOOKS TO OCCUR BETWEEN 05Z AND 09Z SUNDAY...SO HAVE THE LOWEST CIGS AND VSBY DURING THIS PERIOD. WHILE THE INTENSITY OF THE SN DECREASES AFTER 12Z SUNDAY...GUSTY NORTH WINDS MAY KEEP IFR VSBY FOR A LITTLE WHILE UNTIL THE SNOW COMES TO AN END. BUT I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE LATE MORNING HOURS. WOLTERS && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM CDT SUNDAY FOR KSZ012-024-026-037>040-054>056-058-059. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM CDT SUNDAY FOR KSZ008>011-020>023-034>036. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 217 PM CDT SAT MAR 23 2013 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-241930- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 217 PM CDT SAT MAR 23 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SNOW IS STILL EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS THIS EVENING. HOWEVER RELATIVELY WARM TEMPERATURES NEAR THE SURFACE HAVE CAUSED THE SNOW IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS TO MELT AS IT HITS THE GROUND. WITH EVEN WARMER TEMPERATURES IN EASTERN KANSAS... PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY TO BE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATIONS UNTIL SUNSET. THE GREATER IMPACTS ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR OVERNIGHT. A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS STILL FORECAST TO DEVELOP WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A COUNCIL GROVE TO HIAWATHA LINE. NORTH WINDS ARE GOING TO INCREASE AND GUST TO AROUND 30 MPH. HOWEVER GIVEN HOW WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES ARE AND THE WET NATURE OF THE SNOW... DRIFTING SNOW MAY BE MUTED A BIT. VISIBILITIES ARE PROBABLY GOING TO STILL BE LOWERED TO LESS THAN A MILE IN THE BANDS OF HEAVY SNOW. BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED ACCUMULATIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND REDUCED SNOW AMOUNTS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM SUNDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOW FORECAST TO BE 3 TO 5 INCHES. THIS IS FOR AREA GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A HERINGTON TO SENECA LINE. A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 1 PM SUNDAY...FOR THE AREAS MENTION ABOVE WHERE 4 TO 7 INCHES IS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL MAY BE ONGOING ACROSS FAR EASTERN KANSAS SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE COMING TO AN END BY NOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT THE TYPE OF WINTER PRECIPITATION FALLING AND ANY ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA. WOLTERS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
429 PM CDT SAT MAR 23 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0428 PM SNOW 4 NE FORBES FIELD 39.00N 95.62W
03/23/2013 M1.2 INCH SHAWNEE KS NWS EMPLOYEE
AS OF 422 PM CDT.
&&
JBThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency Manager reported widespread 6 to 8 inch snowfall amounts across the county. Conditions were so bad during the morning of the 24th that state highway 59 was closed due to the snow and drifting.
NWS employee measured 7 inches snow. Much of the county received 6 to 8 inches of snow with the heaviest snow having fallen across the eastern half of the county.
Observer at Lane measured 8.3 inches of snow from the storm. EM also reported widespread 7 to 9 inches of snow with the heaviest amounts across the eastern half of the county.
Spotter measured 6 inches of snow in Mayetta. Another spotter reported 5.3 inches of snow in Holton. Law enforcement estimated 5 to 7 inches across the county with the heaviest amounts in the southeast half of the county.
Law enforcement estimated 5 to 7 inches across the county with the heaviest amounts in the southeast half of the county. Fire department in Ozawkie estimated between 5 and 6 inches.
Observer at Gridley measured 6 inches of snow Sunday morning on the 24th. EM also reported widespread 6 to 7 inch amounts across the county.
CoCoRaHS observer measured 6 inches of snow 5 miles southeast of Emporia. EM esimated 6 to 8 inches of snow across the northeastern parts of Lyon County from the storm.
Observer measured 5 inches of snow at White City. EM estimated around 6 inches near Council Grove.
Spotter called in a measurement of 9 inches of snow from 4 miles southwest of Quenemo. Another spotter measured 8.5 inches of snow in Lyndon.
NWS employee measured 8.4 inches of snow.
NWS office in Topeka measured 6 inches of snow as a storm total for this event.
Spotters measured 6 inches of snow 8 miles southwest of Wamego.
COOP observer measured 6 inches of snow in Eskridge.
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, March 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: 430215, 430217, 430218, 430219, 430220, 430216, 430221, 430222, 430223, 430224, 430225, 430226, 430227.