5 hours and 51 minutes ago
Wichita will receive some welcome sunshine for a change today – but cold temperatures and harsh wind chills will discourage folks from lingering outside much.
Highs will top out in the upper 20s, forecasters say, with northwest winds blowing steadily in the teens. Gusts will surge to nearly 30 miles an hour, pushing the wind chills below zero.
Lows tonight will slip into the single digits, and freezing fog is expected to form Wednesday morning.
For more information on conditions, go to our weather page.
The blanket of snow muffles footsteps and silences nature, so that a solitary voice seems to carry much farther than normal.
Fence lines, tricycles, park benches all wear thick ivory shawls. Whispers of wind tease trees to sprinkle the ground with what looks like angel dust.
Larger dollops fall from above like a mitten dropped unheeded from an overhead pocket.
Kris Schindler
In time, snowmen and other artistic creations will blossom from the snow like mushrooms from a spring rain. Sleds and the little ones that ride them gravitate to the nearest snow-covered hills like metal to magnets.
They are images and memories that embed themselves within us, long after the snow has melted away.
For more photos of the landscape left behind by the latest snow storm to strike Wichita, go to our photo gallery. A special thanks to Pat Huffman for the first photo in this blog post.
While the heavy snow that fell overnight has eased, forecasters say light snow will persist through most of the day in the Wichita area.
That will add another inch or two to the total accumulation, which was about 4 inches at the official recording station next to Mid-Continent Airport in southwest Wichita – but 6 inches in central and northern parts of the city.
Some freezing fog is being reported, and is expected to continue until about 10 a.m.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 p.m. for more than 30 counties in southern Kansas, including the Wichita metropolitan area.
Winds that are calm prior to sunrise will stir and strengthen out of the north as the day unfolds. Those winds will blow steadily in the upper teens and gust to nearly 30 miles an hour.
Lows overnight will dip into the teens, with gusty winds persisting, and Tuesday should be cold and blustery with highs in the upper 20s and wind chills below zero.
A winter storm warning has been issued for more than 35 counties in southern Kansas for tonight through Monday, and it includes the Wichita metropolitan area.
The warning for the Wichita area extends from 6 p.m. today until midnight on Monday. Snow is expected to begin accumulating tonight and continue through the day Monday, with snowfall totals reaching 9 inches in some areas.
The Wichita area is projected to receive 4 to 7 inches by the time snowfall ends late Monday.
Here’s a map of projected snowfall across the region, created by the Wichita branch of the National Weather Service:
For more information on conditions, go to our weather page.
The National Weather Service in Wichita is projecting a significant winter storm for the Wichita area on Sunday night and Monday.
Snow should begin to accumulate Sunday night and continue into Monday, the agency says, with preliminary snowfall estimates of 3 to 6 inches in the region.
The heaviest snowfall appears most likely southeast of a Marion to Hutchinson line. That would include means the Wichita metropolitan area.
Stay tuned to forecasts as the weekend unfolds.
Today commemorates the birth of John Jeffries in 1744. A Boston physician and one of America’s first weather observers, Jeffries began taking daily weather observations in Boston in 1774.
According to the National Weather Service, he took the first balloon weather observation over London in 1784. He carried a thermometer, a barometer, and a hygrometer to the height of 9000 feet.
This “holiday” recognizes the men and women who collectively provide Americans with weather, water, and climate forecasts, as well as warning services.
It’s almost fitting that the 2010 commemoration comes at the same time an “epic” snowstorm (to use a term uttered by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official) is bearing down on the Atlantic seaboard.
Some eye-popping snow totals are forecast for the nation’s capitol today and Saturday:
* PRECIPITATION TYPE…HEAVY SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS…WIDESPREAD STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 20 TO 30 INCHES…WITH SOME LOCATIONS IN EXCESS OF 30 INCHES.
Similar totals are forecast for Baltimore, and Philadelphia could easily see more than a foot of snow.
A few parting snow flurries are possible for the Wichita area today before the winter storm moves on east, forecasters say.
The storm brought less than an inch of snow to the area. Temperatures should warm up to the upper 30s today, with a few breaks in the clouds possible by late this afternoon. Winds will be out of the north, gusting to about 20 miles an hour.
After an overnight low in the upper 20s, Saturday should be mostly cloudy with highs again in the upper 30s.
Another winter storm is expected Sunday, forecasters say, with rain and snow in the afternoon and a wintry mix late. Snow is expected on Monday. Highs Sunday should be in the mid-30s.
For more information on conditions, go to our weather page.
……..until 6 a.m. Friday.
The National Weather Service in Wichita reports that a mix of drizzle and light snow will persist in central and southern Kansas, though little if any additional snowfall accumulation is expected.
The precipitation will transition to all snow late tonight and continue through Friday morning. New snow of 1 to 2 inches will be possible tonight, meaning storm totals could range from 1 to 3 inches by the time the system moves east.
Snow will accumulate on grassy areas, bridges, overpasses and untreated roads and highways, the weather service reported. Motorists should be alert for slushy and slick spots.
For more information on conditions, go to our weather page.
Yes, I know: no two snowflakes are alike.
But it’s still been interesting to see and hear about the different types of snowflakes that have descended upon Wichita today.
The snow early this morning reminded me of mites dashing to the ground: tiny flakes in a real hurry. Every once in a while, there’d be some giant flakes that looked more like someone had torn up some tissue paper and was tossing the pieces down from atop a tree or tall building.
Around lunch time, the rate of snowfall had decreased, but the flakes were much larger and fluffier. If the snowfall had been heavier, it would have proved a boon for those who love to build snowmen.
Early this afternoon, someone I follow in Twitter described the weather as “SNOW BOMBS!”
Fortunately, today’s snow hasn’t been destructive, as streets and bridges have been kept clear. That may change as the snow continues overnight, but forecasters now say Wichita may only end up with another inch or less.
For more information on conditions, go to our weather page.