During the early morning of the 9th, light snow developed over Northwest Kansas. Snowfall amounts were less than an inch across Cheyenne and Sherman counties.
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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.
During the early morning of the 9th, light snow developed over Northwest Kansas. Snowfall amounts were less than an inch across Cheyenne and Sherman counties. The snow changed to rain during the morning before ending. This snow event broke the record for the earliest snowfall of the season with the prior records being the 20th or 21st of September.
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 Sep 9, 2:30 AM CST, 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 230 AM MDT Wed Sep 9 2020 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Thursday) Issued at 230 AM MDT Wed Sep 9 2020 Vorticity lobe rotating around the main upper low has resulted in an increase in precipitation across the area tonight. Phase has been snow in far western areas, rain in most areas, with a narrow transition zone near the Kansas-Colorado border area with mixed precipitation including sleet. The wintry precipitation may move just a bit further east overnight, but after sunrise will begin a gradual retreat to the west as temperatures begin to rise. Ground temperatures remain well above freezing which will inhibit accumulations, and still expecting 1 to 3 inches of wet slushy snow in northeast Colorado, though some locally higher amounts possible. CDOT road conditions and cameras indicate wet conditions with icy spots, but appears to be no major concerns on the roads, and everything remains open. As for temperatures, they are working out as expected, with lower 30s in northeast Colorado, generally 30-33F, and near freezing in adjacent counties to the east. As a result of all of this, no changes to existing highlight of a freeze warning will be made. As for today, the light rain will continue. Temperatures will again struggle to rise much from morning lows with upper 30s to lower 40s at best under cloudy skies. Northeast winds will be slightly lighter than yesterday, generally 10 to 20 mph with occasional gusts. Tonight, expecting a decrease in precipitation coverage as upper low retrogrades a bit and settles into the Four Corners. Low temperatures currently forecast to be a few degrees warmer, low to middle 30s, with the only risk of another light freeze in western parts of Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties of northeast Colorado. On Thursday, upper low will begin to move out and reach eastern Wyoming by Friday morning. Only slight chances for precipitation during the day, allowing temperatures to warm into the 50s, but another round of precipitation developing Thursday night as the upper low approaches. Expecting all rain this time around with the warmer profiles, and perhaps a few isolated thunderstorms with elevated instability forecast. Low temperatures will be in the 40s so no threat of a freeze. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 214 AM MDT Wed Sep 9 2020 At the start of the period, an upper low is positioned just to the northwest of the region, continuing to place the High Plains under southwest flow. Chances for rain showers linger across the eastern part of the area into Friday ahead of the system as it moves towards South Dakota. Dry weather returns by Friday night, with northwest flow developing behind the exiting disturbance. Ridging progresses from the west coast to the Rockies during the weekend, resulting in warmer temperatures and prevailing dry conditions. The ridge advances east onto the Plains on Monday, then flattens as it spreads over the eastern CONUS. Meanwhile, the next upper trough enters the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday. However, with no noticeable disturbances looking to approach the region, no precipitation is expected early next week at this point. Temperatures steadily increase throughout the long term period, with highs climbing from the low 70s on Friday to the 80s on Tuesday. Low temperatures range in the mid 40s to mid 50s. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night) Issued at 1118 PM MDT Tue Sep 8 2020 For KGLD, MVFR skies to start the forecast, with a trend to IFR conditions by 10z Wednesday. Ceilings will range OVC015 to start, down to OVC005-008. Visibility will range from 2-6sm in rain/fog. Winds, NNE around 15-30kts. For KMCK, MVFR ceilings thru 11z Wednesday, then IFR/MVFR mix. A range of OVC009 up to OVC012-025. 3-6sm in light rain/fog. Winds, NNE 10-15kts with gusts up to 25kts. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...Freeze Warning until noon MDT today for COZ090>092. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...024 LONG TERM...JBH AVIATION...JN
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 652 PM MDT Tue Sep 8 2020 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-100100- Yuma County-Kit Carson County-Cheyenne County-Cheyenne-Rawlins- Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove- Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow- 652 PM MDT Tue Sep 8 2020 /752 PM CDT Tue Sep 8 2020/ This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska... northwest Kansas and east central Colorado. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... A Freeze Warning remains in effect for Eastern Colorado until noon Wednesday. As temperatures decrease to near or below freezing, snow will begin to mix in with some locales seeing mostly snow during the later hours of the night. 1 to 4 inches will be possible with lower amounts being more common. The wintry precipitation and freezing temperatures may extend slightly further east into portions of northwest Kansas or southwest Nebraska. However, most of this area will see light to moderate rain through the night. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... Freezing temperatures from the prior night will begin to warm during the morning hours and all remaining precipitation will turn to rain. Freezing temperatures may be possible Wednesday night into Thursday morning for far western portions of the Tri-State area. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Based on snowfall reports from surrounding counties, believe that snowfall occurred in Cheyenne County even though there are no reports of snow. Any snow reports would be less than an inch.
Snowfall reports across the county were less than an inch.
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, September 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: 921959, 921960.