Winter Storm in Kansas, January 11, 2018

Name: Winter Storm in Kansas, January 11, 2018
Start: 2018-01-11T03:24
End: 2018-01-11T10:59
Location: Kansas

January 11, 2018 · NWS ICT · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 ICT wrote it up.

On the morning of January 11th, 2018, an area of low pressure rapidly moved northeast from the Texas Panhandle. As the low pressure area moved northeast, extremely cold temperatures to the northwest of the low plunged south across portions of central and south central Kansas. This caused the precipitation to rapidly turn over to freezing rain, sleet, and eventually snow. This quick turnover rapidly made roadways very slick, with numerous accidents and slide offs associated with the slippery roadways. The heaviest snowfall occurred across Northwest Saline County where 4 to 5 inch accumulations were reported.

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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 11, 3:04 AM CST, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 11, 3:04 AM CST, 20 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Wichita KS
304 AM CST Thu Jan 11 2018

.SHORT TERM...(Today through Saturday night)
Issued at 304 AM CST Thu Jan 11 2018

Impacts of snow, wind and potential for some ice are the main
concerns this morning into the early afternoon as the first
significant Winter event of the season affects the area. Satellite
water vapor shows the rather impressive vorticity swirl in the
shortwave upper trof moving over central Oklahoma at 08z. Timing is
everything this morning as the upper trof lifts northeast over the
area and strong cold advection to support the changeover to snow
slides southeast. Recent lightning across central Kansas supports
the weak elevated instability the models have been advertising.
Point forecast soundings and cross sections continue to show some
overlap of elevated frontogenesis and instability as it becomes
cold enough for snow across central Kansas centered either side of
12z as the vort max moves northeast across the area. This looks
to support an axis of heavier snow accum potential within the
lighter snow accum field through the morning. Latest short term
consensus would put this either side of a HUT-MPR-Abilene line
where locally 4 plus inch amounts will be possible.

The next concern is with some freezing rain/drizzle and ice accum
potential along and east of the KS turnpike corridor as the surface
cold front and colder sub-freezing surface air looks to outrun
the colder air aloft and cloud ice for a time. While light, there
could be enough ice to make travel slick and hazardous.

The scenario of the snow and ice combined with the strong north
winds will justify expanding the Winter Weather Advisory further
east into parts of southeast Kansas. Also plan to upgrade to a
Winter Storm Warning for a few counties in central Kansas where
confidence is higher now in attaining greater snow totals and a
greater weather impact.

Beyond today, it will just be flat out frigid as we go into the
start of the weekend, especially where there is significant snow
cover. A reinforcing shot of colder, Arctic air still looks to
plunge south Friday night into Saturday.

Darmofal

.LONG TERM...(Sunday through Wednesday)
Issued at 304 AM CST Thu Jan 11 2018

The mean eastern NOAM upper longwave will send another shot of
reinforced Arctic air south across the central CONUS Sunday night
into Monday and will keep the region in the freezer through
Tuesday. Modest chances for light snow with the associated upper
trof/low dropping down across the Upper Midwest, though the main
impact will continue to be the cold and low wind chills.

KED

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night)
Issued at 1148 PM CST Wed Jan 10 2018

A strong storm system and associated cold front will blast across
the region tonight through Thursday morning, with accompanying
widespread precipitation, MVFR-IFR conditions and strong/gusty
north winds.

Precipitation-type will be initially rain, although as colder air
filters south the rain will change to snow from northwest to
southeast overnight into early Thursday morning. May see a brief
period of light freezing drizzle, freezing rain and/or sleet at
the onset before changing to all snow. ICT has potential to see
around one inch snow accumulation before snow ends mid/late
morning Thursday, with HUT-SLN-GBD-RSL in the 1-3 inch range. CNU
will see less than an inch, although patchy freezing drizzle
and/or sleet is still possible across southeast KS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Wichita-KICT    30  10  29  12 /  80   0   0  10
Hutchinson      27   7  26   8 /  90   0  10  10
Newton          27   7  26   9 /  90   0  10  10
ElDorado        31   9  29  11 /  80   0  10  10
Winfield-KWLD   34  11  31  13 /  60   0   0   0
Russell         25   6  25   6 /  80   0  10  10
Great Bend      27   6  27   7 /  90   0  10  10
Salina          26   6  22   7 / 100   0  20  10
McPherson       26   4  24   7 / 100   0  10  10
Coffeyville     48  12  31  15 /  50  10   0   0
Chanute         41  10  29  12 /  80  10   0  10
Iola            39   9  28  12 /  80  10   0  10
Parsons-KPPF    47  11  30  13 /  60  10   0   0

&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Weather Advisory until noon CST today for KSZ032-033-047-
048-050-053-067>069-082-083-091.

Winter Storm Warning until noon CST today for KSZ049-051-052.

Winter Weather Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 6 PM CST this
evening for KSZ070>072-092>096-098.

&&

SHORT TERM...KED
LONG TERM...KED
AVIATION...ADK

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 10, 9:23 PM CST, 6 hours 1 minute before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Wichita KS
923 PM CST Wed Jan 10 2018

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-120330-
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-
923 PM CST Wed Jan 10 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas,
South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

Rain will change to snow after midnight across central Kansas, with
snow reaching the Turnpike corridor around 5 or 6 am. A brief period
of freezing drizzle, freezing rain or sleet is possible at the onset
of snow. Snow accumulations up to around one inch are expected
overnight across central Kansas. Strong and gusty north winds will
accompany the snow, resulting in poor visibility at times. Roads
will become slick. Please refer to the winter weather advisory for
more details.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday

Rain will continue to change to snow southeast of the Turnpike
corridor after about 6 am Thursday. A brief period of freezing
drizzle, freezing rain or sleet is possible at the onset of snow.
Snow accumulations southeast of the Turnpike will generally be one
inch or less. Total snow accumulations across central Kansas will be
in the 1 to 4 inch range before snow tapers off around the noon hour.
Strong and gusty north winds will accompany the snow, resulting in
poor visibility at times. Blowing and drifting snow is likely, and
roads will be slick. Please refer to the winter weather advisory for
more details.

Sub-zero wind chills are expected periodically from Thursday night
into early next week. There will be a slight chance for light snow
or flurries across the area Monday, but little if any accumulation
is expected.

.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 radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Saline

When: January 11, 3:24 AM CST to 10:59 AM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Property damage: $400,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.784, -97.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow led to treacherous driving conditions across most of Saline County, Kansas. Numerous accidents and slide offs were reported along Interstate 70 and Interstate 135 near Salina. The heaviest snowfall occurred to the northwest of Salina where 4 to 5 inches were reported.

Winter Storm, McPherson

When: January 11, 3:24 AM CST to 10:59 AM CST
Where: McPherson forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 38.392, -97.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow spread across McPherson County, Kansas early in the morning of January 11th, 2018. This made travel dangerous as numerous accidents and slide-offs occurred. The greatest snow accumulations, 2 to 3 inches, were reported across Western and Northern McPherson County.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, January 2018

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: 727237, 737479.