Winter officially bows out today, and few folks are mourning. It was a season packed with plenty of wintry precipitation, and it seemed to come every few days.
According to the National Weather Service, 22.1 inches of snow fell in Wichita this winter. That’s more than 40% above normal. The city averages 16.5 inches of snow a year.
Be forewarned, however: snow in April is not unheard of in Kansas, so the current total should not be carved in stone just yet.
…….massive flooding has hit parts of the Midwest. At least 9 people have been killed in Missouri and Kentucky, and at least two others are missing in Missouri and Texas.
About a foot of rain fell in parts of Arkansas, and 10 inches was reported in Missouri’s Cape Girardeau County. Evacuations are under way in Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio, and flood and flash flood warnings have been posted from Texas to Pennsylvania.
The same storm system dumped 1.86 inches on Wichita Monday, which local weather officials say is the most rain ever recorded on March 17 in the city. Only isolated minor street and yard flooding was reported around the city, however, because the rain was sporadic enough for the water to soak in.
“We definitely dodged a bullet with this,” said Robb Lawson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wichita.