A significant ice storm impacted much of Kansas over the weekend of January 13-16th, 2017. 75 of ice in Great Bend which led to damage to trees and power lines.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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 significant ice storm impacted much of Kansas over the weekend of January 13-16th, 2017. This storm brought as much as 0.75 of ice in Great Bend which led to damage to trees and power lines. Approximately 4,000 homes were without power in Barton, Harper, Kingman and Rice counties. Roads become slick with the freezing rain causing several accidents. South central and southeast Kansas had closer to 0.25 ice accumulations which was confined mainly to elevated surfaces.
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 Jan 13, 3:57 AM CST, 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 357 AM CST Fri Jan 13 2017 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Monday night) Issued at 353 AM CST Fri Jan 13 2017 Very challenging forecast, with a looming prolonged ice storm filling the forecast time tonight. Will continue the ice storm warning as is, although may postpone the start time until midday Saturday for a few central Kansas counties. Despite continued model uncertainty regarding surface temperatures, consensus suggests widespread ice accumulations of 1/4 to 1/2 inch is likely across the region through Sunday night, with locally higher amounts exceeding 1/2 inch over mainly central Kansas due to potential for a longer period of sub-freezing temperatures. Areas of downed tree limbs and powerlines are likely, with associated power outages. The silver linings are 1) winds remaining light (hopefully limiting downed limbs and powerlines), and 2) temperatures warming above freezing most areas Sunday, melting ice accumulation. Did not stray too far from going forecast. Primary forecast challenge is nailing down surface temperatures, as they will be *K-E-Y* to an accurate freezing rain forecast. As it currently stands, surface temperatures appear like they could be marginal for mainly southern portions of the forecast area (i.e. temperatures hovering around freezing) during the heaviest precipitation Saturday PM through early Sunday. A nudge of just 1-2 degrees in either direction could mean mostly rain with little ice accumulations, to mostly freezing rain with potentially significant ice accumulations. That said, first round of light freezing rain possibly mixed with sleet (per NAM/GFS bufr soundings) is expected to affect far southeast Kansas mainly this morning, with light ice/sleet accumulations likely. Should be a relative lull tonight into Saturday morning in between areas of large scale lift, with patchy areas of light freezing rain/freezing drizzle over southeast Kansas supporting additional light ice accumulations. The main batch of large scale ascent and associated precipitation is expected to arrive Saturday afternoon/evening and persist through Sunday night, as a negatively tilted trough approaches from the southwest, inducing strong isentropic ascent/moisture transport across the region. Given the degree of lift and moisture and even marginal instability, widespread pockets of moderate to heavy precipitation are likely, along with embedded claps of thunder. Where this precipitation falls into sub-freezing surface temperatures, major ice accumulations are possible, mainly along/north of Highways 54/400. In contrast, given the absence of persistent near-surface cold advection, temperatures are expected to slowly warm Saturday afternoon and night, possibly limiting ice accumulations across southern portions of the forecast area. Thankfully, confidence is high that temperatures will gradually warm above freezing from the south Sunday and Sunday night, changing everything over to rain and melting all ice accumulation, with the possible exception of central KS counties north of I-70 where temperatures may remain closer to freezing. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Thursday) Issued at 353 AM CST Fri Jan 13 2017 Overall synoptic pattern will support above normal temperatures mid to late next week, with a chance of precipitation moving in by late week and the weekend. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Friday night) Issued at 1122 PM CST Thu Jan 12 2017 Main Aviation Hazards: High potential for lowering stratus and light freezing rain, mainly along and to the southeast of the Kansas Turnpike Friday into Friday evening. Low-mid level moisture advection and isentropic lift (280-305K layer) will increase northward into south-central and southeast Kansas very late tonight through Friday. A large warm layer aloft (875-700 mb) with subfreezing surface temperatures is progged. Therefore, expecting areas of light freezing rain to develop by daybreak in far southeast Kansas, spreading further northwest toward the KS Turnpike Friday pm/eve. MVFR/IFR stratus will also become likely along/southeast of the KS Turnpike, with VFR lower decks lowering to MVFR ceilings to the northwest of the Turnpike during the afternoon/evening hours. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Wichita-KICT 28 25 33 30 / 20 40 70 80 Hutchinson 27 24 31 27 / 20 30 60 80 Newton 26 23 32 27 / 20 40 60 80 ElDorado 26 24 33 29 / 30 40 60 80 Winfield-KWLD 29 26 34 31 / 50 60 70 80 Russell 26 22 32 25 / 10 10 40 60 Great Bend 27 23 31 26 / 10 20 50 70 Salina 27 23 31 26 / 10 20 40 70 McPherson 27 23 31 27 / 20 30 50 80 Coffeyville 32 30 35 33 / 70 70 70 80 Chanute 28 27 34 31 / 70 60 70 80 Iola 27 26 33 30 / 60 60 70 80 Parsons-KPPF 30 28 34 33 / 70 70 70 80 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Ice Storm Warning until 3 AM CST Sunday for KSZ096-098>100. Ice Storm Warning from 6 PM this evening to noon CST Sunday for KSZ051>053-067>069-082-083-091-092. Ice Storm Warning from 6 PM this evening to 6 AM CST Monday for KSZ032-033-047>050. Ice Storm Warning until noon CST Sunday for KSZ070>072-093>095. && SHORT TERM...ADK LONG TERM...ADK AVIATION...JMC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 402 PM CST THU JAN 12 2017 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-132215- 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- 402 PM CST THU JAN 12 2017 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS, SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN DEVELOPING VERY LATE TONIGHT OVER FAR SOUTHEAST KANSAS. ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIGHT...HOWEVER SOME SLICK SPOTS ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES ARE POSSIBLE BY DAYBREAK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A WINTER STORM WITH FREEZING RAIN WILL IMPACT THE AREA BEGINNING FRIDAY AND CONTINUING INTO SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM NEAR HUTCHINSON TO MCPHERSON TO SALINA ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WHERE ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY APPROACH AN INCH IN SOME LOCATIONS. LOCATIONS ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS MAY SEE TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING ON SATURDAY EVENING OR SATURDAY NIGHT LIMITING THE ICE ACCUMULATIONS. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS WILL RANGE FROM ONE-QUARTER TO ONE- HALF INCH WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. CHECK THE LATEST ICE STORM WARNING FOR MORE DETAILS. AS THE STORM SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA EARLY MONDAY A BRIEF TRANSITION TO SNOW MAY OCCUR ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS WHERE MINOR ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION, SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Observing equipment at both Coffeyville and Independence reported freezing rain over the course of two days with the greatest accumulations occurring the evening of the 14th and ending during the morning hours of the 15th.
Ice accumulations across the county ranged from 0.2 inches up to 0.3 inches. Tree branches snapped in many communities Late Saturday and Sunday morning.
The event began as a light drizzle and varied between liquid and freezing for a day before finally changing over to all freezing rain during the overnight hours of the 15th. A significant batch of rain moved across the county during the 2 am to 5 am time frame in which significant amounts of ice accumulated across the county. By 842 am, 0.40 inches of ice was noted at Chautauqua as well as many other locations across the county.
Ice accumulations across the county reached up to 0.25 inches. Snapped tree branches were reported along with slick roads. Numerous accidents were also reported.
Ice accumulations around the county were up to 0.25 inches.
Ice accumulations ranged from 0.25 inches in the far southeastern sections to near 0.4 inches along the northern county line.
Ice accumulations around the county varied between 0.2 inches in the northern sections to near 0.3 inches across the far southern sections.
Ice accumulations across the county ranged from 0.2 inches to near 0.4 inches in the southwest corner.
Several accidents due to a light glaze of ice was noted at the onset of the event. Eventually, the freezing rain increased in intensity and ultimately accumulated to 0.25 inches.
Ice accumulations of 0.25 to 0.5 inches were noted across the county. Power lines were downed and causing power outages at many locations across the county along with a significant number of tree limbs breaking and falling out of trees.
Most locations had ice accumulations around 0.1 to 0.2 inches. However, the far southeast corner near Latham and south of Beaumont recorded 0.3 inches of ice.
Significant icing moved across the county during the evening of the 14th and early morning hours of the 15th and continued with light accumulations into the morning of the 16th. Vehicle slide offs were reported as the accumulations across the county ranged from 0.25 to 0.5 inches. Several tree limbs were also reported as broken out of trees. Several power outages were also reported, especially across the western half of the county.
Ice accumulations across most of the county were around 0.25 inches. However, the western half of the county saw ice estimates near 0.5 inches.
Ice accumulations ranged from 0.25 inches in the western sections of the county to 0.4 inches in the northeast sections.
The far southwestern sections of the county had ice accumulations near 0.3 inches. Most other locations were around 0.2 inches.
Ice accumulations across the county varied from 0.25 inches in the east to near 0.5 inches in the western sections.
Ice accumulations across the county varied from 0.25 inches in the east to near 0.5 inches in the western sections.
Ice accumulations around the county were up to 0.25 inches.
Ice accumulations around the county ranged from 0.5 inches up to 0.75 inches. The greatest accumulations were across the western sections of the county. Widespread reports for trees and tree limbs falling were received along with several power outages.
Ice accumulations around the county were up to 0.5 inches.
Ice accumulations around the county were up to 0.25 inches. Mainly in the northwest sections.
Ice accumulations around the county were up to 0.5 inches.
Ice accumulations around the county ranged from 0.5 inches up to 0.75 inches. Widespread tree damage was noted across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, January 2017
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: 722109, 722115, 722108, 722116, 722128, 722127, 722130, 722123, 722114, 722111, 722124, 722113, 722118, 722119, 722125, 722121, 722122, 722132, 722135, 722136, 722133, 722140, 722138.