Blizzard — Jasper, Missouri

2011-02-01 · Jasper, Missouri

Event narrative

A major winter storm produced heavy snow and blizzard conditions at times across southwest Missouri. Heavy snow accumulations of 15 to 20 inches were observed. Significant accumulations of sleet preceded the snow with accumulations up to 1 inch. Northwest winds of 20 to 40 mph resulted in drifts up to few feet and visibilities less than one quarter mile. Travel was extremely treacherous with some roads impassable.

Wider weather episode

A major winter storm brought heavy wintry precipitation to the Missouri Ozarks and southeast Kansas on February 1, 2011. This impressive winter storm brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions from Oklahoma through eastern Kansas and the northwest half of Missouri and into the western Great Lakes region.

Snowfall amounts ranged from around 20 to 24 inches in parts of west central into central Missouri to trace amounts over south central Missouri. In addition to the heavy snowfall, winds of 15 to 30 mph with some gusts near 40 mph occurred during the day and nighttime hours of February 1st creating significant blowing and drifting of snow along with bitterly cold wind chills. This created blizzard conditions with near zero visibility at times and snow drifts up to several feet.

Significant accumulations of sleet and freezing rain occurred across portions of southern Missouri. Sleet accumulations of one half to 2 inches fell along and just south of the Interstate 44 corridor. Freezing rain accumulations ranged from one tenth to three quarters of an inch along and south of Interstate 44 with accumulations up to three quarters of an inch in south central Missouri into the eastern Missouri Ozarks.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 281228. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.