Category Archives: Snow

Snowfall forecast dwindles for Wichita

22 March, 20133:57 p.m.

The National Weather Service is now projecting a trace to 2 inches of snow for Wichita from the approaching winter storm.

Computer models are now suggesting the storm track has ticked north a bit, forecaster Kevin Darmofal said, so temperatures will stay warm enough that rain won’t change to snow until late Saturday night.

Northern Kansas and southern Nebraska will see heavier snow, Darmofal said, and most of Kansas will receive “beneficial precipitation” in some form – rain or snow.

“That’s the good news,” Darmofal said.

The bad news if anyone traveling north from the Wichita metropolitan area could experience issues with road conditions, so stay tuned to the evolving storm.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Snow | Comments

Will it be 2 inches of snow for Wichita? Or closer to 10?

22 March, 20138:11 a.m.

Interesting contrasts in snowfall forecasts for the Wichita area being offered by two different forecasting agencies.

The National Weather Service is projecting 2 to 5 inches for Wichita, while AccuWeather’s forecast has a band of 6 to 12 inches stretching as far south as Wichita.

It’s possible AccuWeather’s map keeps the 6 to 12 inches just north of Wichita, and weather service forecasters have told me northern portions of Sedgwick County will receive more snow than Wichita. I guess we’ll get our answer this weekend.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Snow | Comments

Winter has ended…..

1 March, 20135:39 p.m.

…….at least, according to the meteorological calendar.

Meteorological spring begins on March 1. Yes, that’s not the same as the equinox, but the longer days and warmer temperatures are nonetheless evident by the time March arrives. In fact, high temperatures are expected to jump nearly 20 degrees from Saturday to Sunday.

February was a wet month for Wichita and the surrounding area, thanks to the two heavy snows within the span of a week late in the month. As it is, last month was the snowiest in Wichita history, with 21.2 inches of snow recorded at the National Weather Service.

Here’s an NWS map showing precipitation totals for the month.

It snowed on five days in February and rained on four others. The warmest day of the month was 69 on the 17th, with the lowest high being 28 on the 22nd. So those extremes came less than a week apart.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Rain, Snow, Winter | Comments

Snowfall totals from Wichita area

26 February, 20133:06 p.m.

The National Weather Service in Wichita has produced a map showing snowfall totals in the region as of 7 a.m. Tuesday. You’ll see amounts varied quite a bit even in Sedgwick County.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Snow | Comments

Blizzard warning canceled for Wichita and south-central Kansas

26 February, 20138:11 a.m.

The National Weather Service has canceled the blizzard warning for the Wichita metropolitan area.

Snowfall has ended in the Wichita area, forecasters say, though strong winds out of the north and northwest mean blowing and drifting will continue to be a problem.

This second strong storm in less than a week dumped 6.8 inches of snow on Wichita and as much as 10 inches in Kingman County, according to the weather service.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Snow | Comments

Wichita sets record for snowiest month in city’s history

26 February, 20138:08 a.m.

The two potent snow storms in less than a week have combined to give Wichita its snowiest month ever, weather officials say.

The 21 inches of snow this month is the most to fall in any month – not just February, National Weather Service meteorologist Jerilyn Billings said.

The snowfall breaks a record that’s exactly 100 years old: 20.5 inches in February 1913.

The official snowfall total from last week’s storm, 14.2 inches, is the second-most from any snow event in Wichita.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Snow | Comments

Wichita weather: Snow and blowing snow

26 February, 20135:00 a.m.

While new snowfall is expected to end in the Wichita area by mid-morning Tuesday, forecasters say, gusty winds will continue to create headaches for motorists and road crews.

A blizzard warning will remain in effect until noon Tuesday in the Wichita metropolitan area. Highs will top out in the low to mid-30s, with north winds gusting to nearly 40 miles an hour early in the day before easing into the teens.

Skies will remain cloudy overnight, forecasters say, when lows are expected to dip into the low 20s. Winds will be in the teens out of the northwest, but will gust to nearly 25 miles an hour.

Wednesday should offer some sunshine, forecasters say, along with temperatures in the mid-30s. Winds will remain out of the northwest, gusting to almost 25 miles an hour.

For more information on current conditions, go to our weather page.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Forecast, Snow, Winter | Comments

Mid-morning snow forecast for Wichita metropolitan area

25 February, 201312:42 p.m.

The National Weather Service has updated its snow forecast, fueled by radar-based projections. Those are decimal points, not dashes, so for Wichita the prediction is 9.1 inches.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Blizzards, Snow, Winter | Comments

Severe Weather Safety Class in Cheney postponed

25 February, 201312:09 p.m.

Sedgwick County Emergency Management has postponed the Severe Weather Safety class slated for tonight in Cheney.

To accommodate the training schedule of the Cheney Fire Department, the class will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 29 at the Cheney Fire station.

The class scheduled for Tuesday night in Bentley is still on as planned, officials said, but a decision on postponement will be made Tuesday.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Snow, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes | Comments

Blizzard warning in effect for Wichita and south-central Kansas

25 February, 20138:31 a.m.

Blizzard warnings are now in effect for 22 Kansas counties, including the Wichita metropolitan area.

The warnings extend until midnight for 14 counties in southwest Kansas – Hodgeman, Pawnee, Stafford, Haskell, Gray, Ford, Edwards, Kiowa, Pratt, Seward, Meade, Clark, Comanche and Barber.

The blizzard warning expires at 6 a.m. Tuesday for Kingman, Reno and Harper counties, and until noon Tuesday for Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, Sumner and Cowley counties. Strong north winds of 30 to 40 miles an hour – with higher gusts – will create blizzard conditions and make travel extremely difficult.

Here are a series of maps showing snowfall forecasts from various agencies and media outlets. The differences are due to uncertainty about how far south the center of the storm will track, and how soon rain will change to snow.

The first map shows the National Weather Service forecast.

The next map comes from KWCH, which is predicting less snow for Wichita than the weather service.

The third map is from KAKE. You’ll see the notable variances in the forecasts.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Blizzards, Snow, Winter | Comments