A compact storm system moved slowly across Kansas and dumped 5-8 inches of snow across parts of north central and central Kansas beginning after sunset of the 20th and continuing into the morning hours of January 21st. Impacts were limited to travel since winds were generally under 15 mph.
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.
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 compact storm system moved slowly across Kansas and dumped 5-8 inches of snow across parts of north central and central Kansas beginning after sunset of the 20th and continuing into the morning hours of January 21st. Impacts were limited to travel since winds were generally under 15 mph. Periods of light freezing drizzle were also observed with this system across the area although amounts were very light and only impacted untreated roadways.
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 Jan 20, 6:25 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Topeka KS 625 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016 ...Update to near-term and aviation forecast discussion... .UPDATE... Issued at 609 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016 Have updated the near-term forecast through tonight to include the chance for a mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow for the first 1-2 hours of precipitation this evening, particularly for areas near/south of a Minneapolis to Manhattan to Burlington line. A light glaze of ice will be possible before sleet and snow overtake as the main precipitation type. Have already had reports of 1.75" of snow in the Concordia area and expect this area of moderate to heavy precipitation to stall and pivot, likely setting up some part of the area with snow amounts higher than the current forecast. The most likely area for high amounts remains similar to the previous forecast, but may just end up closer to the 6" mark locally. && .SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Thursday) Issued at 315 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016 Early afternoon water vapor imagery showing initial potent upper wave moving into southwest Kansas with second near Salt Lake City. Initial band of precip making its way northeast into central Kansas with local temps still holding in the upper 20s lower 30s with stratus being rather prevalent in the bulk of the area. Southeast winds keeping low levels fairly well saturated with dewpoint depressions of only a few degrees in the southeast. Behavior of the stronger bands of precip and any freezing drizzle into Thursday are the main challenges. Models are in good agreement with this initial band strengthening as the mid level wave deepens tonight on increasing isentropic lift and frontogenesis. This band looks to impact mainly western and central areas before diminishing. This could easily be the biggest show of the event with heavier rates anticipated per latest short-range guidance and a few quick inches seem likely. Additional rounds of precip should persist through the night into at least Thursday morning as the wave remains overhead and second trough rotates around it to the south, though forcing is weaker and should lead to lighter amounts. Going Advisory seems well in order, with amounts mainly in the 1-4" range. Any areas, mainly in the west, that see more persistence of especially the early precip could see locally higher amounts. Far northeast and eastern locations still look to have the smallest concern for the heavier amounts. Still looking like the vast majority of measurable precip will be snow with good saturation and lift into the ice crystal formation zone and the bulk of the forcing being aloft. The magnitude of attributes weaken late tonight into Thursday, giving at least some potential for light freezing drizzle as well. Also, where low levels are fairly saturated near and south of I-35, hard to rule out some drizzle early this evening as well. .LONG TERM...(Thursday Night through Wednesday) Issued at 315 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016 Models shows the low clouds hanging in through the night with the possibility for some weak and shallow vertical motion. Overall am not that optimistic for accumulating precip, but can't rule out some patchy freezing drizzle either. With this in mind, have kept a mention for some very light drizzle. Any impact is probably going to be small given the anticipated weather leading into the night and ongoing efforts to keep roads clear. Have not made many changes to the expected lows Friday morning. There should be some cold air advection on the back side of the system, but with a modest surface ridge building in lows in the upper teens to around 20 should look reasonable. Shortwave ridging is progged to develop over the central plains for for Friday and Saturday. This combined with a dry airmass moving in with the surface ridge should lead to dry weather heading into Sunday. Temps are forecast to moderate somewhat as southerly winds return to the area with some modest warm air advection on Saturday. Highs Friday should remain below freezing due to mostly cloudy skies and weak cold air advection persisting through the morning. Have temps forecast to reach the mid 30s Saturday thinking snow cover could offset some of the modest warm air advection. The GFS and ECMWF are in good agreement that the next upper trough will move into the plains by Sunday with a series of shortwaves moving across the region through Tuesday. However moisture appears to be limited through this time period. Because of this am not all that excited about precip chances. Models generate some light QPF Sunday night and Monday so the forecast continues to show a slight chance POP. The concern however is whether there will be ice in the column as the GFS forecast soundings struggle to saturate mid levels. With this in mind, have a mention of snow or freezing drizzle for Sunday night and Monday morning. Otherwise forcing and moisture look to be less than optimal for precip and have a dry forecast for Monday night through Wednesday. Temps should cool down for the first part of the work week behind a cold front Sunday night. The a warming trend is expected by mid week as heights rise and surface winds gain more of a westerly and southwesterly component to advect warm air back in. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Thursday Evening) Issued at 609 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016 Precipitation, initially fzraplsn, will arrive at MHK soon, but will probably take a few more hours to reach TOP/FOE in consistent fashion as there is a lot of dry air to overcome. Expect mainly snow for a precip type at all sites after 03Z. Vis will reduce to IFR quickly at onset of precip, with cigs slowly decreasing this evening to IFR, and possibly to LIFR during the early morning. -SN will persist for much of the TAF period with some chance for ZL after 18Z. Conditions will improve to MVFR, likely in the 17Z-19Z time range. && .TOP Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM CST Thursday for KSZ008>012- 020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059. && UPDATE...Barjenbruch SHORT TERM...65 LONG TERM...Wolters AVIATION...Barjenbruch
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 631 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-220045- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 631 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA IN THE LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM ONE TO 6 INCHES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS EXPECTED TO BE WEST OF A LINE FROM MARYSVILLE TO EMPORIA. PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE COULD ALSO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT IN AREAS WHERE SNOW IS NOT FALLING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO MUCH OF THE DAY THURSDAY. PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS OF THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT PRECIPITATION TYPE AND AMOUNTS. && MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CAN BE ACCESSED AT... HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TOP/SITREP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
623 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0620 PM SNOW CONCORDIA 39.57N 97.66W
01/20/2016 M2.1 INCH CLOUD KS CO-OP OBSERVER
MEASURED AT 615 PM.
&&
BAERGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
744 PM CST WED JAN 20 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0743 PM SNOW 3 NNE CONCORDIA 39.61N 97.64W
01/20/2016 E4.0 INCH CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
HEAVY SNOW STILL FALLING.
&&
BAERGThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Observers reported 5 to 8 inches of snow across the county early Thursday morning from the storm.
Observers reported 5 to 8 inches of snow across the county early Thursday morning from the storm. Had an observation of 6 in Concordia just after midnight on the 21st.
Observers reported 5 to 6 inches of snow across the county early Thursday morning from the storm. Between 5 and 6 inches of snow was reported in Junction City at 10am on the 21st.
Observers reported 5 to 6 inches of snow across the county early Thursday morning from the storm. Between 5 and 6 inches of snow was reported in 4ENE of Ada at 7am on the 21st.
EM reported 5-6 inches of snow in Marysville early Thursday morning. The southwest half of Marshall county received 5-7 inches of snow from this storm.
COOP observer reported 6 inches of snow in Courtland. Public reports estimated anywhere from 5 to 7 inches across the county.
The heaviest snow appears to have fallen across Washington county where 6 to 9 inches was reported. 8 inches was reported 5 SW of Washington and 6.3 was measured by COOP in Clifton near the Washington and Clay county line.
Measurements and estimates of 6 to 8 inches of snow were received across Riley county. 7 inches was measured by the EM near Randolph on Thursday morning Jan 21st.
Measurements and estimates of 4 to 8 inches of snow were received across Pottawatomie county. The heaviest snow occurred across the northwest half of the county. 6 inches was measured by COOP in Blaine in the northern parts of the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, January 2016
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: 608319, 608320, 608321, 608322, 608438, 608323, 608324, 608325, 608327.