Kansas, 2022

Heavy Snow in Kansas, January 5 to 6, 2022

January 5 to 6, 2022 · NWS GLD · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

During the afternoon hours on January 5th, a low pressure system moved over the Central High Plains bringing light to heavy snow accumulations across portions of Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas through the pre-dawn hours of the 6th. In Northwest Kansas, snow accumulations varied from a trace to 4 inches along and south of I-70 with 2 to 8 inches of snow north of the interstate.

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
None recorded
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 GLD wrote it up.

During the afternoon hours on January 5th, a low pressure system moved over the Central High Plains bringing light to heavy snow accumulations across portions of Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas through the pre-dawn hours of the 6th. In Northwest Kansas, snow accumulations varied from a trace to 4 inches along and south of I-70 with 2 to 8 inches of snow north of the interstate. The highest accumulations occurred in Norton and wester Decatur counties. At times, the snowfall rate and occasional gusts around 30 mph produced reduced visibility below 1 mile.

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 Jan 4, 5:25 PM CST, 19 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 4, 5:25 PM CST, 19 hours 20 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 4, 1:00 PM CST, 23 hours 45 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

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Decatur

When
January 5, 12:45 PM CST to January 6, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Decatur forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
39.785, -100.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several bands of light to moderate snow moved generally south across Decatur County producing total snow accumulations ranging from 3 to 6 inches across the county. The highest snow accumulations were located near the town of Norcatur, Kansas. At times, the snowfall rate was heavy enough to produce reduced visibility to around three-quarters of a mile.

Heavy Snow, Norton

When
January 5, 12:45 PM CST to January 6, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Norton forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
39.784, -99.903 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several bands of light to moderate snow moved generally south across Norton County producing total snow accumulations ranging from 4 to 8 inches across the county. The highest snow accumulations were located near the city of Norton, Kansas. At times, the snowfall rate was heavy enough to produce reduced visibility to around half a mile. The heavy amount of snow caused semi trucks to be stopped at a travel stop in Norton until roads were plowed.

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 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, January 2022

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1003572, 1003573.