Up to half a foot of snow could be dumped on parts of Kansas, weather service predicts

A wintry storm is expected to dump snow across much of the state with some areas of south-central Kansas receiving up to half a foot of snowfall.

The National Weather Service office in Wichita issued a winter weather advisory that runs from noon Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday.

“Heavy snow possible,” the NWS advisory said. “Total snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches possible. Locally higher amounts may also occur.”

Driving will likely be difficult by Wednesday evening.

“Plan on slippery road conditions,” the weather service said. “The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute. ... Reduced visibilities may occur from heavy snowfall rates and winds gusting as high as 25 mph.”

While snow is predicted across much of the state, the areas with the greatest chance for snowfall are generally west of I-35 and south of I-70. The highest snowfall amounts are expected in south-central Kansas.

The weather service predicts 1-2 inches of snow in Wichita and 4-6 inches of snow in Hutchinson. Great Bend and Medicine Lodge both are forecasted to receive 2-3 inches of snow, while Salina gets 1-2 inches and Emporia and Eureka get less than an inch.

Wichita would need 2 inches of snow to break a record. The Dec. 2 snowfall record was set at 1.9 inches in 1967.

The NWS forecast for the city has the chance for snow starting before 10 a.m. Wednesday, then a mix of rain and snow as the daily high nears 38 degrees. The rain and snow will become all snow again at night, with a low around 29 degrees. The daytime chance of precipitation is 60% and the nighttime chance is 80%.

This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 2:56 PM.