Winter Storm — Ellsworth, Kansas

2026-01-23 to 2026-01-24 · Ellsworth, Kansas

Event narrative

Based on surrounding reports along with reports from within the county, an estimated 7 to 8 inches of snow fell across Ellsworth County. The highest reported snow total was 8.0 inches in Ellsworth.

Wider weather episode

A prolonged winter storm affected the Southern Plains on January 23rd through the 25th. Central and eastern Kansas saw all snow for this event. It snowed for 40 straight hours in Wichita. Most locations across central, south central and southeast Kansas picked up between five to a little above nine inches; near Smolan in Saline County measured 9.1 inches for the event.

Extreme cold air spilled south across the Plains with this event. Nine temperature records were either set or tied during the January 23rd through January 26th time frame. Both Russell and Salina saw low temperatures of -16 with widespread wind chills in the 10 to 20 below zero range. In Wichita, the homeless shelter provided housing for over 365 guests which is above average and near their capacity. There is one unconfirmed fatality of an unhoused individual who didn't seek shelter.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1314014. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.