Winter Weather — Jewell, Kansas

2025-02-11 to 2025-02-12 · Jewell, Kansas

Event narrative

Snowfall totals across the county were generally in the 2 to 4 inch range, with the highest reported total of 3.2 inches from the NWS Cooperative Observer in Ionia.

Wider weather episode

Snow returned to north central Kansas as the first in a series of winter events impacted the area on February 11 and 12.

Light snow moved into the area early on the 11th and became somewhat heavier and more widespread across north central Kansas in the late evening hours. Bands of briefly heavy snow formed at times within the larger snow area as it moved from west to east across the area. A 6-8 hour period from late on the 11th through the early overnight hours on the 12th likely contained the heaviest snowfall and poorest visibility. The intensity of the snow lessened by dawn on the 12th before basically ending across the area by midday. Snow amounts generally ranged from 2 to 4 inches. Some of the higher amounts reported included at Lebanon (3.5'), Phillipsburg (3.4') and near Glen Elder Late (3.3'), with an average of about 3' of across most of the area.

Unlike many winter events, the surface weather map didn't depict a strong low pressure anywhere near Kansas. In fact, cold air had spilled all the way to the gulf coast and suggested the surface low was actually as far south as south Texas. This event was driven by a solid 500-700 MB short wave exiting the Rockies and moving east across the Central Plains on the night of the 11th. Frontogenetic forcing in the mid-levels of the atmosphere teamed with a 100+ KT 300 MB jet streak to form the classic banded snowfall often found with these types of weather systems.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1240345. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.