Kansas, 2020

Heavy Snow in Kansas, December 14 to 15, 2020

December 14 to 15, 2020 · NWS GLD · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

During the evening, and through following morning, multiple bands of moderate to heavy snowfall rates moved north over parts of Northwest Kansas. Up to eight inches of snow was reported from these bands, with the highest amounts over Rawlins County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 GLD wrote it up.

During the evening, and through following morning, multiple bands of moderate to heavy snowfall rates moved north over parts of Northwest Kansas. Up to eight inches of snow was reported from these bands, with the highest amounts over Rawlins County.

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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 14, 8:30 PM CST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 14, 8:30 PM CST, 0 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 14, 7:14 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Cheyenne

When
December 14, 8:30 PM CST to December 15, 11:30 AM CST
Where
Cheyenne forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
39.786, -101.731 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of six inches were reported in Dundy County and Sherman County. The same bands moved over Cheyenne County, so by proximity this county should have also received six inches of snowfall. Key impacts: heavy snowfall, slick roads.

Heavy Snow, Sherman

When
December 14, 7:30 PM MST to December 15, 11:45 AM MST
Where
Sherman forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
39.351, -101.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall across the county ranged from 5.5 to 6. Key impacts: heavy snowfall, slick roads.

Heavy Snow, Rawlins

When
December 14, 9:30 PM CST to December 15, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Rawlins forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.785, -101.076 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall across the county ranged from a couple inches in the southeast part of the county to eight inches in the Atwood and McDonald area. Key impacts: heavy snowfall, slick roads.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, December 2020

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 935031, 935032, 935034.