Winter Weather — Saline, Kansas

2011-01-31 · Saline, Kansas

Event narrative

Areas of freezing drizzle from around midnight through late morning on the 31st produced slick roads and numerous vehicle accidents and slide-offs countywide. One such accident proved fatal (location, gender and age unknown), and at least one other produced injuries (number of injuries unknown). Other numerous injuries were reported due to other mishaps dealing with the ice. Thereafter, from the evening on the 31st through the early evening on February 1st, areas of light to moderate snow produced 2 to 4 inches accumulation across the county. Sustained north to northwest winds of 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, produced blowing and drifting of snow. Additionally, single digit temperatures in concert with the strong winds resulted in wind chill readings down to -25 degrees. Property damage amounts are rough estimates. The Salina Journal contributed to this report.

Wider weather episode

A massive winter storm of historic proportions affected the region from the early morning hours January 31st through the evening hours February 1st. Precipitation started out as freezing drizzle on the 31st, with snow expanding across the area during the evening and overnight hours. The snow, which was moderate to heavy and times, persisted through the 1st, tapering to flurries by evening on the 1st. The highest accumulations occurred generally southeast of the Kansas Turnpike corridor, where accumulations exceeded 6 inches. However, far southeast Kansas saw the highest accumulations, with amounts exceeding one foot. The highest amount received was a little over 18 inches over southeast Labette county. Sustained north to northwest winds of 25 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, produced near-blizzard conditions at times, along with extensive drifts, some of which exceeded 4 feet tall. Additionally, temperatures in the single digits and teens in concert with the strong winds resulted in wind chill readings as cold as -30 degrees, coldest over central Kansas. The heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and bitter cold wind chills closed numerous schools, businesses and government offices. City and county snow removal crews were overwhelmed by the heavy snow and big drifts. Consequently, travel and commerce were brought to a standstill. At Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, dozens of arrivals and departures were canceled. Where snow was heaviest over far southeast Kansas, National Guard personnel were deployed to assist transporting medical personnel from their homes to area hospitals to perform their essential, life-saving duties. The governor issued an emergency declaration for 53 counties, including most areas along and east of I-135. Numerous vehicle accidents and slide-offs occurred across the area, with a handful of injuries reported. Unfortunately, one fatality occurred on February 2nd in Wichita, when a train struck a car stuck in snow on railroad tracks.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 280395. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.