February 21st 2013 heavy snow

Most snow in decades affects the Wichita area

A powerful storm system ejected out of the southern Rockies and into the plains on February 21st and brought some of the highest snowfall amounts this area has seen in decades. As of 7 pm on February 21st the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport has measured a storm total snowfall of 14.2 inches which makes this storm the 2nd worst on record! The highest storm total snowfall for Wichita occurred back in 1962 when a storm dumped 15 inches.

One of the more unique aspects of this storm was the amount of thundersnow that took place during the early morning hours of February 21st. Below is video taken from a security camera at the National Weather Service in Wichita showing the lightning associated with the thundersnow.

Meteorology information

radar animation at the time widespread thundersnow was affecting much of south central Kansas

Infrared satellite animation showing the cooler cloud tops spreading over south central Kansas as the storm system ejected out of the southern Rockies

Snow pictures

Heavy snow in West Wichita at the time thundersnow was occuring

Snow measurement near Clearwater by Mick McGuire

Snow in West Wichita. Picture taken by Janet Spurgeon

Snowfall in West Wichita near Central and Tyler

Snow measurement in West Wichita by Janet Spurgeon

Meteorologist Vanessa Pearce out measuring snow.

United flight gets stuck in snow at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport https://t.co/GHsZdMQyEO via @KSNNews pic.twitter.com/vK0tWokbDk
— 1050 Hz (@1050Hz) February 22, 2013