510
NOUS43 KICT 211200
PNSICT
KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-211600-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
600 AM CST FRI FEB 21 2025
..ON THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY
IN 2021, TODAY MARKED THE END OF A BRUTAL 15 DAY STRETCH
OF BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. 14 OF THOSE DAYS, THE
MERCURY NEVER ROSE ABOVE FREEZING. THIS EXTREME COLD
WEATHER CAUSE MORE THAN 190 BILLION IN PROPERTY DAMAGE
AND CAUSED THE LOSS OF OVER 20 FATALITIES DURING THIS
SAME PERIOD ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS. THE COLD WEATHER
WAS TRULY THE COLDEST EVENT IN MORE THAN 30 YEARS AS 469
RECORD COLD TEMPERATURES FELL EAST OF THE ROCKIES TO THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO. OF THESE RECORDS, 47%
OR 225 OF THEM HAD STOOD FOR AT LEAST 75 YEARS WHILE 26%
OR 126 OF THESE RECORDS HAD STOOD FOR AT LEAST 100 YEARS.
IN 2013, THE SECOND DAY OF A HUGE 2-DAY SNOWSTORM
CONTINUED ACROSS KANSAS. MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS RECEIVED 10 TO 14 INCHES, BUT PARTS OF
KINGMAN COUNTY RECEIVED 1.5 FEET. AN ADDITIONAL 8 INCHES
WERE MEASURED AT WICHITA'S MID CONTINENT AIRPORT. WITH
6.2 INCHES MEASURED ON THE 20TH, THIS BROUGHT THE STORM
TOTAL TO 14.2 INCHES, MAKING THIS THE 2ND WORST SNOWSTORM
IN WICHITA'S HISTORY. NO DOUBT, TRAVEL WAS TREACHEROUS;
SO MUCH IN FACT, THAT SEVERAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS
WERE STUCK RESPONDING TO CALLS. WICHITA'S WORST
SNOWSTORM OCCURRED JANUARY 17TH AND 18TH, 1962, WHEN AN
EVEN 15 INCHES WERE MEASURED AT MID-CONTINENT AIRPORT.
IN 1971, A BLIZZARD STRUCK THE SOUTHERN HALF OF KANSAS,
BURYING THESE AREAS WITH 10 TO 13 INCHES. NORTHEAST 30
TO 40 MPH WINDS PRODUCED NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES. WICHITA
MID-CONTINENT AIRPORT RECEIVED 11.6 INCHES. THIS RANKS
FEBRUARY 21ST, 1971 4TH ON THE ALL-TIME GREATEST
SNOWFALLS LIST TO OCCUR ON A CALENDAR DAY. WITH ANOTHER
1.2 INCHES MEASURED EARLY IN THE MORNING OF THE 22ND,
THIS BROUGHT THE SNOWSTORM TOTAL TO 12.8 INCHES. THIS
PLACED THE BLIZZARD OF FEBRUARY 21ST AND 22ND, 1971 IN A
TIE WITH THE DECEMBER 23RD AND 24TH, 1918 SNOWSTORM AS
THE 4TH WORST SNOWSTORMS TO HIT THE AIR CAPITAL.
AUTO
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