An extremely intense low pressure system moved into Missouri during the evening of March 4th. Northwest winds on the backside of the storm increased and rain changed to snow bringing a brief 3-4 hour period of blizzard conditions to parts of northeast Kansas.
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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 TOP wrote it up.
An extremely intense low pressure system moved into Missouri during the evening of March 4th. Northwest winds on the backside of the storm increased and rain changed to snow bringing a brief 3-4 hour period of blizzard conditions to parts of northeast Kansas. Snowfall amounts ranged from 1-3 inches however northwest winds of 40-70 mph combined with falling snow to reduce visibilities to one quarter mile or less in open areas for several hours.
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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 4, 5:43 PM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 543 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - An intense storm system to bring thunderstorms, very strong winds and blizzard conditions through tonight. - Very strong northwest winds are expected to develop late this afternoon with gusts up to 70 mph possible. These winds should persist through the night tonight and a high wind warning remains in effect. - A period of moderate snow is forecast on the back side of the storm system. The falling snow along with very strong winds could create white out conditions. A blizzard warning for northeast Kansas is posted for this evening and overnight. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 228 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 At 1930Z the mid level low was located over north central Oklahoma and was pivoting to the northeast. A dry slot had worked into south central and central Kansas at 19Z. Radar was showing some isolated convection developing in areas where there was some breaks in the clouds from southeast into northeast Kansas as well as in an area of steep low level lapse rates. Expect some isolated convection through the early evening hours in east central Kansas. The main concerns for this forecast are very strong winds and winter weather conditions tonight into the morning hours of Wednesday. At 19Z the surface low was over southeast Kansas with a strong pressure gradient on the west side across western into north central Kansas. As the low moves east through the rest of the afternoon and evening strong northerly winds with gusts up to 60 mph will spread from west to east. Additionally precipitation will change over from rain to snow with widespread blowing snow reducing visibilities to less than a half or quarter of a mile tonight. The highest probability (>80 percent) of blizzard conditions still looks across northeast Kansas. Have continued the Blizzard Warning and Winter Weather Advisory for much of the area tonight. Have increased snow amounts slightly as some frontogenetic banding as well as isentropic lift and dynamic forcing may lead to some locally higher amounts. Generally expecting from 1 to 3 inches with isolated 4 inch amounts in far northeast Kansas. The snow is expected to end from west to east later tonight, but strong north winds will lead to blowing snow through the morning hours on Wednesday. Temperatures will be below normal on Wednesday and as RH drops to around 25 percent in central and north central Kansas Wednesday afternoon elevated fire danger may develop depending on how quickly the fuels dry out. The strong winds will decrease by late afternoon. Temperatures warm back up on Thursday to near normal for much of the area, before cooling back down on Friday as another weather system moves across the central Plains Thursday and Friday. This system will bring a chance of rain and snow to the area, mainly areas near and north of Interstate 70. Currently any accumulating snowfall looks to stay north of Kansas in Nebraska. A dry period is expected from Friday night into early next week. Temperatures will gradually warm each Day with highs in the 70s expected next Monday and Tuesday. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 537 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 Major flight issues expected through the bulk of this forecast. Rain has changed to snow in portions of southeast Nebraska and the transition appears a bit faster than earlier. Gusts of 50 knots also not far upstream and are still on track to spread across the terminals in the next several hours. Snowfall rates may not support +SN but expect LIFR conditions in the wind/snow combination for at least portions of the 02-08Z window. Winds and ceilings gradually return to more reasonable flight conditions after 13Z. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until noon CST Wednesday for KSZ008-KSZ009- KSZ010-KSZ011-KSZ012-KSZ020-KSZ021-KSZ022-KSZ023-KSZ024-KSZ026- KSZ034-KSZ035-KSZ036-KSZ037-KSZ038-KSZ039-KSZ040-KSZ054-KSZ055- KSZ056-KSZ058-KSZ059. Winter Weather Advisory until 3 AM CST Wednesday for KSZ008- KSZ009-KSZ020-KSZ021. Blizzard Warning until 4 AM CST Wednesday for KSZ010-KSZ011- KSZ012-KSZ022-KSZ023-KSZ024-KSZ026-KSZ036-KSZ038-KSZ039-KSZ040. Winter Weather Advisory until 3 AM CST Wednesday for KSZ035- KSZ037-KSZ054-KSZ055-KSZ056-KSZ058-KSZ059. && DISCUSSION...53 AVIATION...Poage
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Topeka KS 534 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-052345- Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley- Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris- Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson- 534 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Kansas, east central Kansas, north central Kansas, and northeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight Very strong and damaging winds will spread southeast across the area tonight. Northwest winds sustained at 35 to 45 mph with gusts around 65 mph are expected. A High Wind Warning remains in effect for the entire area through noon Wednesday. Rain is forecast to change over to snow this evening. The snowfall is likely to occur during the strong northwest winds gusting around 65 mph, creating white out conditions for locations along and north of a line from Junction City to Lawrence. A Blizzard Warning is posted for this area from 8 pm until 4 am. A Winter Weather Advisory is posted elsewhere for near blizzard conditions. Do not travel tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday The northwest winds with gusts up to 65 mph will gradually subside Wednesday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report the total amount of snow received and any wind measurement or damage reports from this storm to the National Weather Service in Topeka. && More detailed information can be found at: www.weather.gov/media/top/DssPacket.pdf
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
701 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0651 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NNE Frankfort 39.71N 96.41W
03/04/2025 M61 MPH Marshall KS Public
&&
ngPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
707 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0641 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 WSW Belleville 39.81N 97.67W
03/04/2025 M60 MPH Republic KS Public
&&
ngPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
708 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0645 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst Concordia 39.57N 97.66W
03/04/2025 M64 MPH Cloud KS Other Federal
&&
ngPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
709 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0648 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 SSE Concordia 39.54N 97.65W
03/04/2025 M61 MPH Cloud KS ASOS
&&
ngPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
710 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 E Clay Center 39.38N 97.09W
03/04/2025 M58 MPH Clay KS Public
&&
ngPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
739 PM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0712 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 NNE Manhattan 39.22N 96.56W
03/04/2025 M58 MPH Riley KS Public
&&
ngThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Video taken by a storm chaser showed near zero visibilities in heavy falling and blowing snow and winds of 40-70 mph in Fairview Kansas on highway 36. This corresponded to area ASOS that showed visibilities also falling to between one half and one quarter mile.
Report from Emergency Manager included blizzard conditions with near zero visibility with winds gusting to around 70 mph. This corresponded to area ASOS that showed visibilities also falling to between one half and one quarter mile. These conditions lasted for approximately 3 to 4 hours.
Report from county highways included blizzard conditions with near zero visibility with winds gusting to around 60 mph. This corresponded to area ASOS that showed visibilities also falling to between one half and one quarter mile. These conditions lasted for approximately 3 to 4 hours.
Video from media showed blizzard conditions in Jackson County with near zero visibility due to wind and falling or blowing snow. This corresponded to area ASOS that showed visibilities also falling to between one half and one quarter mile. These conditions lasted for approximately 3 to 4 hours.
Reports from county EM included near zero visibility and winds of 50-65 mph with blizzard conditions. This corresponded to area ASOS that showed visibilities also falling to between one half and one quarter mile. These conditions lasted for approximately 3 to 4 hours. Snowfall amounts ranged from 1-3 inches estimated due to much of the snow blowing horizontally.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, March 2025
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: 1230411, 1230412, 1230413, 1230414, 1230415.