Blinding snow, at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, bombarded much of the nation's midsection Thursday, causing whiteout conditions, making major roadways all but impassable and shutting down schools and state legislatures.
Kansas was the epicenter of the winter storm, with parts of the state buried under 14 inches of powdery snow, but winter storm warnings stretched from eastern Colorado through Illinois. Freezing rain and sleet were forecast for southern Missouri, southern Illinois and Arkansas. St. Louis was expected to get all of the above — a treacherous mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
Several accidents were blamed on icy and slushy roadways, including two fatal accidents. Most schools in Kansas and Missouri, and many in neighboring states, were closed. Legislatures shut down in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa.
"Thundersnow" accompanied the winter storm in parts of Kansas and Missouri, which National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Truett said is the result of an unstable air mass, much like a thunderstorm.
"Instead of pouring rain, it's pouring snow," Truett said. And pouring was a sound description, with snow falling at a rate of 1 1/2 to 2 inches per hour in some spots. Kansas City, Mo., got 5 inches in two hours.
AP
A city snow plow pusheds snow off of Zoo Blvd... View Full Caption
A city snow plow pusheds snow off of Zoo Blvd Thursday morning, Feb. 21, 2013 in Wichita, Kans. Kansas was the epicenter of the winter storm, with parts of Wichita buried under 13 inches of still-falling snow, but winter storm warnings stretched eastern Colorado through Illinois. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Bo Rader) Close
Snow totals passed the foot mark in many places: Monarch Pass, Colo., had 17 ½ inches, Hutchinson, Kan., 14 inches and Wichita, Kan., 13 inches. The National Weather Service said up to 18 inches of snow were possible in central Kansas.
With that in mind, Kansas transportation officials — and even the governor — urged people to simply stay home.
Drivers were particularly warned away from the Kansas Turnpike, which had whiteout conditions. Interstate 70 was also snow-packed and a 90-mile stretch of that road was closed between Salina and Hays.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback closed executive offices, except for essential personnel.
"If you don't have to get out, just really, please, don't do it," Brownback said.
Travelers filled hotels rather than skating across dangerous roadways. At the Econo Lodge in WaKeeney, Kan., assistant manager Michael Tidball said the 48-room hotel was full by 10 p.m. Wednesday and that most guests were opting to stay an extra day.
Just south of Wichita, near the small community of Clearwater, Scott Van Allen had already shoveled the sidewalks Thursday and was out on his tractor clearing the driveway of the 10 inches of snow — just in case he might need to go out. For once, he didn't mind the task.
"I kind of enjoyed it this time," he said. "We were certainly needing the moisture terribly."
Vance Ehmkes, a wheat farmer near Healy in western Kansas, agreed, saying the 10-12 inches of snow outside was "what we have been praying for."
He and his wife, Louise, were drinking lots of coffee and cozily feeding the fireplace Thursday from the stack of old fence posts they had stacked on their porch in anticipation of the storm.
But he didn't plan on resting all day — there was paperwork waiting for him: "After you put it off as long as you can, on a day like this, it is a good opportunity to get caught up on things you don't want to do," Ehmkes said.
Near the Nebraska-Kansas border, as much as 8 inches fell overnight, while western Nebraska saw about half of that amount, National Weather Service forecaster Shawn Jacobs said.
Kansas was the epicenter of the winter storm, with parts of the state buried under 14 inches of powdery snow, but winter storm warnings stretched from eastern Colorado through Illinois. Freezing rain and sleet were forecast for southern Missouri, southern Illinois and Arkansas. St. Louis was expected to get all of the above — a treacherous mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
Several accidents were blamed on icy and slushy roadways, including two fatal accidents. Most schools in Kansas and Missouri, and many in neighboring states, were closed. Legislatures shut down in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa.
"Thundersnow" accompanied the winter storm in parts of Kansas and Missouri, which National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Truett said is the result of an unstable air mass, much like a thunderstorm.
"Instead of pouring rain, it's pouring snow," Truett said. And pouring was a sound description, with snow falling at a rate of 1 1/2 to 2 inches per hour in some spots. Kansas City, Mo., got 5 inches in two hours.
AP
A city snow plow pusheds snow off of Zoo Blvd... View Full Caption
A city snow plow pusheds snow off of Zoo Blvd Thursday morning, Feb. 21, 2013 in Wichita, Kans. Kansas was the epicenter of the winter storm, with parts of Wichita buried under 13 inches of still-falling snow, but winter storm warnings stretched eastern Colorado through Illinois. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Bo Rader) Close
Snow totals passed the foot mark in many places: Monarch Pass, Colo., had 17 ½ inches, Hutchinson, Kan., 14 inches and Wichita, Kan., 13 inches. The National Weather Service said up to 18 inches of snow were possible in central Kansas.
With that in mind, Kansas transportation officials — and even the governor — urged people to simply stay home.
Drivers were particularly warned away from the Kansas Turnpike, which had whiteout conditions. Interstate 70 was also snow-packed and a 90-mile stretch of that road was closed between Salina and Hays.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback closed executive offices, except for essential personnel.
"If you don't have to get out, just really, please, don't do it," Brownback said.
Travelers filled hotels rather than skating across dangerous roadways. At the Econo Lodge in WaKeeney, Kan., assistant manager Michael Tidball said the 48-room hotel was full by 10 p.m. Wednesday and that most guests were opting to stay an extra day.
Just south of Wichita, near the small community of Clearwater, Scott Van Allen had already shoveled the sidewalks Thursday and was out on his tractor clearing the driveway of the 10 inches of snow — just in case he might need to go out. For once, he didn't mind the task.
"I kind of enjoyed it this time," he said. "We were certainly needing the moisture terribly."
Vance Ehmkes, a wheat farmer near Healy in western Kansas, agreed, saying the 10-12 inches of snow outside was "what we have been praying for."
He and his wife, Louise, were drinking lots of coffee and cozily feeding the fireplace Thursday from the stack of old fence posts they had stacked on their porch in anticipation of the storm.
But he didn't plan on resting all day — there was paperwork waiting for him: "After you put it off as long as you can, on a day like this, it is a good opportunity to get caught up on things you don't want to do," Ehmkes said.
Near the Nebraska-Kansas border, as much as 8 inches fell overnight, while western Nebraska saw about half of that amount, National Weather Service forecaster Shawn Jacobs said.