Ice Storm — Reno, Kansas

2015-11-29 to 2015-11-30 · Reno, Kansas

Event narrative

A storm chaser measured 1/2 inch of ice in Hutchinson. Law enforcement and public reported widespread tree and power line damage that caused equally widespread power outages across the county. This damage was major and caused numerous power outages. Downed power lines severed power to 80 homes 5 miles northeast of Haven as well as 1 mile east of Hutchinson where 110 more homes lost power when limbs of various sizes fell onto power lines. Within Hutchinson City limits, many tree limbs of various sized fell onto power lines that severed power to around 450 homes while 40 more homes lost power 5 miles west of Hutchinson. One of the downed limbs was 8 inches in diameter. Late in the morning of the 29th, the Reno County Emergency Manager reported that a frozen valve caused a brief propane gas leak in Hutchinson.

Wider weather episode

The main upper-deck wave that had been positioned over the Southern Rockies finally lifted northeast from the Southern to the Central Plains. This caused a 2nd round of sleet and freezing rain that ultimately led to an ice storm across parts of Central & South-Central Kansas from the morning of the 29th to the morning of the 30th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 607605. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.