A band of light wintry precipitation set up near the CO/KS border on December 2nd. Light snow was seen during the morning hours that transitioned to freezing drizzle later in the day.
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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 GLD wrote it up.
A band of light wintry precipitation set up near the CO/KS border on December 2nd. Light snow was seen during the morning hours that transitioned to freezing drizzle later in the day. This precipitation caused hazardous road conditions that led to a vehicle accident in Sherman County, KS during the evening hours. The reported morning snowfall totals ranged from 0.1-0.5 with 0.03-0.04 of liquid equivalent precipitation for the 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 1, 9:49 PM MST, 4 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 949 PM MST Tue Dec 1 2020 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Thursday) Issued at 118 PM MST Tue Dec 1 2020 Complex upper system will dive south tonight from the northern High Plains and cut off Wednesday morning over the OK/TX panhandle region, with a couple of distinct vorticity lobes. Best forcing will stay south of the area, however light snow expected to develop late tonight, continue through Wednesday, then winding down Wednesday night. Most locations expected to see less than one inch, a few areas near the Colorado Kansas border may see up to 2 inches with a more focused band Wednesday morning associated with the initial vorticity lobe. Total snowfall amounts from the global ensemble means range from around 1 inch (ECMWF) to less than a half inch (GFS). Deterministic models not much different. Snow ratios may end up as the deciding factor, with colder temperatures further west and ratios around 15 to 1 while further east they are closer to 10 to 1. Liquid QPF is less than a tenth of an inch. Along with the occasional light snow, brisk north winds and temperatures in the upper 20s/lower 30s will result in wind chills in the single digits and teens through the day. Do not expect problems with blowing or drifting due to low snow amounts. As mentioned, snow will wind down Wednesday night as the upper low moves into OK/southeast Kansas. Winds will also slowly diminish Wednesday night with low temperatures in the teens and 20s, maybe slightly colder in northeast Colorado if the clouds can clear early enough. Expecting sunny skies by Thursday afternoon across the entire area. Snow cover may slightly impact temperatures and went on the cooler side of guidance with highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s and northwest winds 10-20 mph. Lows Thursday night in the upper teens. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 1247 PM MST Tue Dec 1 2020 Overall quiet weather period expected as generally northerly flow aloft will prevail over the area as amplified H5 ridge will gradually move east and dampen through Tuesday. Pattern will be dry with little, if any, chance for precipitation. Flow pattern does increase uncertainty somewhat as cooler air masses can pretty easily advance to the south given pattern and this shows up in ensemble temperature data with increasing spreads after Saturday. While can't discount the possibility of these cooler solutions, tend to favor the warmer pattern as recent biases seem to support that. Could see some heightened fire wx days given how dry it will be, but winds overall do not look to strong except on Saturday. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Wednesday night) Issued at 947 PM MST Tue Dec 1 2020 VFR conditions /5-10 KFT mid-level ceilings/ this evening will deteriorate to MVFR (1500-3000 ft AGL) overnight. MVFR ceilings are anticipated to persist through the majority of the day on Wednesday. Reduced visibilities associated with periodic light snow are possible at both terminals.. mainly after 09-12Z Wed morning. Breezy north winds -- sustained at 15-25 knots with gusts up to 30-35 knots -- will prevail through the day on Wed, decreasing to 10-15 knots after sunset. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...024 LONG TERM...JRM AVIATION...VINCENT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 521 PM MST Tue Dec 1 2020 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-030030- Yuma-Kit Carson-Cheyenne-Rawlins-Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas- Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove-Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock- Red Willow- 521 PM MST Tue Dec 1 2020 /621 PM CST Tue Dec 1 2020/ This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska... northwest Kansas and east central Colorado. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT... Light snow will develop between midnight and sunrise Wednesday morning. Accumulation, if any, will be light in nature. No significant impacts are anticipated. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... Occasional light snow will continue through the day on Wednesday, winding down Wednesday night. Total accumulation of around one inch is expected. Wind chills will be in the single digits and teens throughout the day on Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report snow accumulation of any amount to the National Weather Service in Goodland via telephone or social media. Vincent
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1039 PM MST TUE DEC 1 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 E FIRSTVIEW 38.81N 102.46W
12/01/2020 M58 MPH CHEYENNE CO MESONET
MESONET STATION UP723 3.7 E FIRSTVIEW (UPR).
&&
MRCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1041 PM MST TUE DEC 1 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0655 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 E FIRSTVIEW 38.81N 102.46W
12/01/2020 M57 MPH CHEYENNE CO MESONET
MESONET STATION UP723 3.7 E FIRSTVIEW (UPR).
&&
MRCThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported an accident via social media involving a jack knifed semi truck on I-70 at mile marker 9 due to slick roads caused by freezing drizzle and light snow in the county. The report was received at 6:55 PM on 12/2/20. Key impacts: traffic accidents.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, December 2020
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: 934872.