Several inches of light to moderate snow fell across part of the area on this Friday and Saturday. During the daylight hours Friday, a large shield of rain and snow formed across southern Kansas, and it gradually lifted into northern Kansas.
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.
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 GID wrote it up.
Several inches of light to moderate snow fell across part of the area on this Friday and Saturday. During the daylight hours Friday, a large shield of rain and snow formed across southern Kansas, and it gradually lifted into northern Kansas. Around midday, light rain and snow began falling across Rooks, Osborne, and Mitchell counties. Any rain that was falling changed to snow and, by late afternoon, the precipitation shield had lifted further north, with snow falling across Phillips, Smith, and Jewell counties as well. By 6 PM CST, a single, long, fairly narrow deformation snow band had evolved and extended from near Garden City across north central Kansas to Nebraska City, Nebraska. This band remained nearly stationary until 1 AM CST Saturday. The band then began slowly drifting east while gradually diminishing in intensity. The snow ended from west to east, across north central Kansas, between 6 AM and 2 PM CST Saturday. All six counties were covered by a minimum of 4 to 6 inches of fresh snow. The highest amounts included 9.0 at Hunter, 8.5 inches at Plainville, 8.0 at Beloit and Randall, 6.5 at Natoma, and 6.0 at Osborne, Jewell, and Smith Center. Surface winds were fairly light with this event, averaging 5 to 10 MPH Friday afternoon and night. During the daytime Saturday, winds increased to 10 to 20 MPH, which is tame for most snowstorms here. So, problems with drifting were minimal. Because this occurred primarily on a weekend, the impacts were pretty low.
This snowstorm occurred in the absence of any surface features. The closest surface system was a weak 1009 mb low moving east through Oklahoma. The upper-levels exhibited an omega shaped pattern with a high-amplitude ridge extending from Arizona to Idaho. A downstream trough was along the Colorado-Kansas border Friday evening, and this trough closed off into a 500 mb low along the Oklahoma-Kansas border by dawn Saturday. 300 mb analyses indicated strong divergence over the area while the band was strongest, with a coupled jet streak configuration. This band developed within the area of deformation, in the 700-500 mb trough. Despite the appearance on radar, though, mesoanalyses did not indicate frontogenesis was occurring.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter storm, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm total snowfall amounts ranging from 6 to 9 inches was reported across the county.
Storm total snowfall amounts ranging from 5 to 7 inches was reported across the county.
Storm total snowfall amounts ranging from 3 to 6 inches was reported across the county.
Storm total snowfall amounts ranging from 6 to 9 inches was reported across the county.
Storm total snowfall amounts ranging from 6 to 9 inches was reported across the county.
Storm total snowfall amounts ranging from 5 to 7 inches was reported across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, January 2019
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 792822, 792823, 792827, 792824, 792825, 792826.