Wichita in rare squall warning with ‘intense’ burst of heavy snowfall and strong winds
Updated 11:15 a.m.:
Wichita had its first snow squall Thursday morning since the term was officially defined in 2018, National Weather Service meteorologist Christian Williams said.
A snow squall — defined by the NWS as an “intense short-lived burst of heavy snowfall” along with gusty winds that quickly reduce visibility — had a criteria of a quarter-mile or less of visibility, winds of at least 30 mph and snow, he said. The combination can cause whiteout conditions.
The NWS put out a snow squall warning for an area including Wichita from around 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and then again from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wichita had winds in the low 30s and gusts in the mid 40s during the snow squall warning time.
NWS data shows less than a half-inch of snow during that time, but that snow came down harder at certain times. Around 11 a.m., Williams said there had been about 2.5 inches of snow at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport since the snow started early Thursday morning.
Original 7:45 a.m.:
Concerns of a snow squall are adding even more dangers to driving conditions Thursday morning in the Wichita area.
The rare snow squall warning was made by the National Weather Service in Wichita just after 7 a.m. and stays in effect until 8 a.m. Wichita was later added to a snow squall warning area that lasted until 10 a.m.
A snow squall is an “intense short-lived burst of heavy snowfall that leads to a quick reduction in visibilities and is often accompanied by gusty winds,” according to the NWS.
Roads with the biggest concerns for accidents are I-135, I-235 and I-35, the NWS reported.
The wind coming out of the north was in the high 20s just before 7 a.m., according to the most recent NWS data as of 7:45 a.m. The latest data show a high gust of 46 mph sometime in the hour just before 7 a.m. The latest data also shows the air temperature just dipped into the negatives for the first time during this storm. Additionally, there was a high wind gust 52 mph before 2 a.m. today, the data shows.
As of 7:45 a.m., Kansas Department of Transportation map showed Wichita highways had an accident and stalled vehicles on Kellogg and abandoned vehicles on K-96 and I-135, the abandoned vehicles most likely from the weather. It also showed the highways in Wichita were completely covered with snow.
Light freezing drizzle late Wednesday night turned into snow just after midnight Thursday.
The heavier snow arrived in Wichita around 7 a.m., dropping the visibility even more than it had been.
This story was originally published December 22, 2022 at 8:09 AM.