Although this news is a few days old by now, I thought it was nevertheless worth sharing: Arkansas recorded its first-ever May snowfall last Friday.
Forecasters had talked about Wichita having its first measurable May snowfall at the same time. Though a few flurries were reported, there was never enough to threaten accumulation.
While snow flurries fell in Wichita and its suburbs on Thursday, there was no accumulating snow in the region.
That means the record for latest measurable snowfall in a season remains April 24.
Kansas City recorded its first May snowfall since 1907 and Goodland received more than 4 inches in northwest Kansas. Blowing snow shut down I-70 from Goodland to the Colorado line for several hours until Thursday morning.
Farther north in Minnesota, Blooming Prairie reported 18 inches of snow and and West Concord had more than 15.
Other snowfall totals, as reported by The Weather Channel:
Here are the latest peak snowfall totals by state as of late Thursday morning:
Buckhorn Mtn., Colo.: 28.2″
Near Buford, Wyo.: 20″
Near Harrisburg, Neb.: 6.1″
Near Edson and Quinter, Kan.: 4.5″
Forest City and Britt, Iowa: 11″
Beresford, S.D.: 6″
Rice Lake, Wis.: 17″
Ft. Collins, Colo.: 10-16″
Near Boulder, Colo.: 8″
Denver, Colo.: 3.2″
Cheyenne, Wyo.: 12.8″
Omaha, Neb.: 3.1″
Sioux Falls, S.D.: 1.5″
Rochester, Minn.: 13.5″
Des Moines, Ia.: 1.1″
Conditions have improved enough for I-70 to reopen from Goodland to the Colorado state line.
Blowing snow and snow-covered roads had prompted the closing of the interstate earlier today.
Authorities have closed I-70 from Goodland to the Colorado state line due to blowing snow.
More than two feet of snow has fallen in parts of northwestern Colorado, and northwest Kansas has widespread reports of several inches of snow.
The precipitation is still falling as rain in the Wichita area, with as much as 1.25 inches reported in the city as of about 7 a.m. Snow is already being reported in Reno County, however, and forecasters are still calling for a dusting of snow in the metro area later today.
Meteorologists keep telling me they don’t expect any accumulation in the Wichita area from the winter storm barreling through the state later today.
But the National Weather Service has just posted this map on its website.
It has never snowed this late in Wichita, according to a review of records at the weather service. Wichita set a record for latest measurable snowfall on April 24, when .2 of an inch fell.
This winter – winter is still rolling in May?? – is currently tied for 5th in Wichita history with 30 inches of snow. Any measurable snow will give it sole possession of 5th place in records that date back to 1889.
That .2 of an inch of snow earlier this week pushed this winter into a tie for the 5th snowiest in Wichita’s history, according to the National Weather Service.
A total of 30 inches of snow fell this winter, tying 1972-73 for #5 on the list of snowiest winters since records began being kept in 1889.
Now that’s a headline you don’t expect to see in late April in southern Kansas. But here’s a map produced by the National Weather Service showing snowfall earlier this week. It’s the latest measurable snow has ever fallen in Wichita.
A band of snow that moved through Wichita late Tuesday night brought at least .2 of an inch of snow to the city – the latest measurable snowfall in Wichita since records began being kept in 1889.
The previous record was April 20, 1918.
To put that date into perspective, World War I was still raging.
Nearly 10 inches of snow fell in Goodland.
Temperatures fell well below freezing throughout much of Kansas.
Not surprisingly, many records fell on a startlingly cold day for late April in the Sunflower State.
“It’s a record cold day,” National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Darmofal said.
The 9.2 inches of snow that fell in Goodland overnight is the most on record this late in the season, according to the National Weather Service.
Records aplenty fell in Wichita today as well. The record low of 34 from 1996 was bettered by a single degree early this morning – after sunrise, no less – and temperatures could fall still more after sunset tonight.
Today’s high of 37 actually came at 2 a.m., Darmofal said, and readings fell as the morning lengthened.
The record low high temperature for April 23 in Wichita took a beating. The old record from 1931 was 47, meaning the new mark is a full 10 degrees colder.
“We really shattered it,” Darmofal said.
Russell and Salina also set records for low high temperature, and Russell’s overnight low broke the record by one degree.
“This may be winter’s last gasp this spring,” Darmofal said.
But he’s not ready to guarantee it yet, even though May arrives next week.
“That’s the only thing that’s saving us, is time,” he said.
Wichita received more than 5 inches of snow from this weekend’s storm, according to the National Weather Service. Eastern sections of the city received a bit more than that, based on reports.
This latest snowstorm means 2013 is one of the snowiest winters in Wichita’s history, breaking into the Top 6 with 29.8 inches so far. A warming trend will help the snow melt quickly.
