During a roughly 36-hour period between the morning of Wednesday the 20th and the early evening of Thursday the 21st, this six-county portion of North Central Kansas not only experienced its heaviest snowfall event of the 2012-2013 winter season, but also one of the largest storm-total snowfalls on record for some areas. According to NWS cooperative observers, the entire area totaled at least 8-11 inches of snow, with the highest amounts of 12-18 concentrated within Phillips, Smith, Rooks and Osborne counties. Leading the way with 18 were locations such as Natoma and Covert in Osborne County, and Phillipsburg and Long Island in Phillips County. At Smith Center, 15.6 ranked as the largest two-day snowfall on record dating back to 1910. Near Plainville, 12 ranked as the ninth-largest snowfall on record since 1904. Farther east, most of Mitchell and Jewell counties dodged the heaviest snow bands, thus ending up with comparably lower totals including 8 at Hunter and Ionia, 9 at Beloit and 10.1 at Burr Oak. Although the heavy snow itself created considerable impact across the area including at least minor drifting, the magnitude of blowing snow was held in check by sustained easterly and northerly winds that generally topped out 15-20 MPH and mainly gusted under 25 MPH, keeping this storm from reaching blizzard status. Liquid-equivalent moisture in excess of one inch was common, and also welcome across the drought-stricken area, highlighted by an impressive 2.20 at Natoma.
This nearly 36-hour event consisted of several waves of steady snowfall, with brief breaks in between. The first few concentrated snow bands passed through from south-to-north on the afternoon and evening of the 20th, with much of the area totaling 3-9 by midnight. Snowfall during the pre-dawn hours of the 21st was fairly light and off-and-on, before the longest-lasting and most intense bands of the event took aim mainly between 9 AM and 5 PM, accompanied by temperatures hovering around 20 degrees. By 7 or 8 PM, all snow ended across North Central Kansas as a closed mid level low pressure system started lifting north of the area. On the synoptic scale aloft, this prolonged winter storm was forced by the approach and eventual passage of an expansive, amplified mid-upper level trough. The primary mid-level 700-500 millibar closed low tracked from southern California on the morning of the 20th, to the Texas Panhandle on the morning of the 21st, before deepening and lifting slowly north-northeast across central Kansas into southeast Nebraska during the daytime and evening hours. Periods of isentropic lift associated with smaller-scale shortwave troughs lifting out ahead of the main system were responsible for snowfall from the 20th into the morning of the 21st, with the most intense snow bands during the day on the 21st driven by pronounced deformation on the northwest periphery of the mid level low track. From a forecast perspective, this winter storm was one of the best-anticipated in recent memory thanks to unusually high consistency in computer model solutions. Although the finer details of timing and full snowfall potential did not come into focus until a few days out, signs of a potentially significant winter storm were recognized over one week in advance.

Heavy Snow in OSBORNE, KANSAS
From 20-FEB-13 08:30:00 to 21-FEB-13 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 12 inches of snow fell at Alton, 18 inches of snow fell at Covert and 18 inches of snow fell at Natoma.

Heavy Snow in SMITH, KANSAS
From 20-FEB-13 10:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 13 inches of snow fell at Lebanon and 15.6 inches of snow fell at Smith Center.

Heavy Snow in PHILLIPS, KANSAS
From 20-FEB-13 09:15:00 to 21-FEB-13 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 18 inches of snow fell at Kirwin Dam, 13 inches of snow fell at Logan, 18 inches of snow fell at Long Island and 18 inches of snow fell at Phillipsburg.

Heavy Snow in ROOKS, KANSAS
From 20-FEB-13 08:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 12 inches of snow fell four miles west-northwest of Plainville, 13.8 inches of snow fell at Webster Dam and 18 inches of snow fell 10 miles west northwest of Stockton.

Heavy Snow in MITCHELL, KANSAS
From 20-FEB-13 09:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 19:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 9 inches of snow fell at Beloit, 10.5 inches of snow fell at Cawker City, 9 inches of snow fell at Glen Elder and 8 inches of snow fell at Hunter.

Heavy Snow in JEWELL, KANSAS
From 20-FEB-13 10:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 10.1 inches of snow fell at Burr Oak, 8 inches of snow fell at Ionia, 8.8 inches of snow fell at Jewell, 11 inches of snow fell at Lovewell Dam and 15 inches of snow fell at Mankato.