Winter Storm — Geary, Kansas

2012-12-19 to 2012-12-20 · Geary, Kansas

Event narrative

Spotters reported a wide range of snow estimates and measurements. Anywhere from 2 to as much as 4 inches of snow was reported across the county. However, strong winds gusting to as high as 50 mph created near blizzard conditions between midnight and 6 am. The impacts of the snow and winds are the basis for the decision to verify the winter storm warning for Geary County.

A fatality accident occurred on December 20th when a vehicle lost control on the icy roadway and crashed into a dump truck on Interstate 70 at Grandview Plaza. The driver of the vehicle died at Geary Community hospital. The passenger was taken to the hospital due to injuries sustained in the accident.

Wider weather episode

Rain changed to sleet and snow from northwest to southeast across much of northeast Kansas. The rain changed to snow after 9pm across north central Kansas and after midnight across the rest of northeast Kansas. The snow was heavy at times and many areas received between 2 and 6 inches of snow. What was most notable about this storm was the strong northwest winds that gusted to over 50 mph at times. This created near blizzard conditions for a 3-6 hour period during the pre-dawn hours of December 20th. The decision to verify winter storm conditions was based off of the combined impacts of the falling snow and strong winds that created near blizzard conditions during the early morning rush hour of December 20th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 416829. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.