Dangerously hot conditions are occurring today in southeast Oklahoma, the ArkLaTex, lower Mississippi Valley, and Puerto Rico. Hot temperatures surround this area throughout the southern U.S. Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories in effect. Excessive rainfall may lead to flash flooding today over parts of northern Alabama into eastern Tennessee and the Cascades. Read More >
Topeka, KS
Weather Forecast Office
A major winter storm affected Kansas and surrounding states from Tuesday January 29th through Thursday January 31st.
Across east central Kansas, the wintry precipitation took the form of heavy freezing rain. This caused major tree damage, numerous power outages, and horrible travel conditions leading to many accidents. In the NWS Topeka County Warning Area, Anderson, Franklin, Osage, Coffey and Lyon counties received the worst of the icing.
Just to the north, Dickinson, Morris, Wabaunsee, Shawnee and Jefferson counties received a mixture of heavy sleet, and some freezing rain and snow. This also caused numerous travel problems and closed many schools and businesses. Snow, heavy at times, was the main precipitation type across the remainder of northeast and north central Kansas. Across this area, reports of six to ten inches were common.
This storm was unusual not only in the amount of sleet and freezing rain that fell, but also in the duration of the< precipitation. Some areas saw some type of wintry precipitation falling for 48 hours straight. The cold air at the surface was a result of an arctic front that moved through Kansas early in the week. As the front stalled just to the south, warm moist air was lifted up and over the front and resulted in the variety of nasty conditions that Kansans experienced with the storm.
US Dept of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service
Topeka, KS
1116 NE Strait Avenue
Topeka, KS 66616-1667
785-234-2592
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