Snowfall falls short of predictions in Kansas; What we got and what’s to come:

Wichita saw about 3.2 inches of snow from Friday through noon Saturday, with the potential for a few more inches before the storm ends, Wichita-based National Weather Service meteorologist James Cuellar said.

Wichita was originally forecast to get 6-10 inches of snow. Cuellar said Wichita will likely now be more in the 4-6 inch range.

Areas north of Wichita have already seen more snow than that, with the highest amount being around seven inches near Beloit.

However, most of Kansas will end up having less snow than originally forecast, as the storm, which is affecting most of the eastern half of the U.S., has now shifted south of most of Kansas.

Here is a look at how much snow has fallen across Kansas through 10 a.m. Saturday:

Friday’s prediction also called for snow hitting Wichita area in two rounds, the second being Saturday night into Sunday morning. Cuellar said the forecast now shows snowfall throughout the day Saturday, that will likely taper off in the evening.

But, he said, “Wichita is going to be right on the border” of a band of snow hitting tonight that’s more likely to hit along and east of the Turnpike in south-central and southeast Kansas. The band will be a “pretty sharp line” where 20 miles will mean a large difference in snowfall, he said.

If it does hit Wichita directly, it could push the top-end total snowfall to about 7 inches, he said. It would also keep the snow falling in Wichita later into Sunday morning.

Even if the original snow predictions fall short, the cold was the biggest concern for Kansas with this storm. The coldest wind chill so far in Wichita was negative 17 degrees before 11 p.m. on Friday night, with the wind chill remaining in the negative teens all Saturday morning. The temperature hasn’t climbed above the single digits since late Friday morning.

Negative wind chills are still forecast in the mornings on Sunday and Monday.

In states south and east of Kansas, there are still concerns for “catastrophic ice accumulation,” according to the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center.

“Long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous and impassable travel conditions are likely,” the prediction center said. “Catastrophic impacts are expected where freezing rain amounts exceed one-half inch, with locally over one inch ice accumulation possible in parts of northern Louisiana, central and northern Mississippi, southern Tennessee, and the southern Appalachians.”

This story was originally published January 24, 2026 at 11:54 AM.