Weather-wise, the end of 2017 across North Central Kansas will be most-remembered for bitter cold. Based on data from several official NWS cooperative observer stations, the entire six-county area endured one of the top-5 coldest finishes to December on record (specifically the final eight days from the 24th-31st), and most of the area had one of the top-3 coldest. Focusing on Smith Center as a specific example, the 24th-31st averaged 12.5 degrees, roughly 15 degrees below normal and good for the 3rd-coldest finish to December on record out of 78 on record. During this stretch, three days at Smith Center featured high temperatures of 11 degrees-or-colder, and three days featured sub-zero lows. The overall-coldest day across the area (in terms of highs) was New Year's Eve the 31st, including 1 degree at Burr Oak, 5 degrees at Smith Center and 7 at Beloit.  A few of the very coldest official lows during late December (on the morning of the 27th) included -10 degrees at Burr Oak and -3 at Smith Center. Not surprisingly a few of these days/nights (mainly the 27th and 31st) featured Wind Chill Advisories as values dropped into at least the -15 to -25 range. Although not as severe as the last week of December, below normal temperatures persisted into the first several days of January 2018 before a brief-but-welcomed warm-up finally boosted readings back into the 50s-60s from Jan. 7-10.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in PHILLIPS, KANSAS
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Based on NWS stations in nearby counties, the final 8 days of December likely averaged among the Top-4 coldest on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in SMITH, KANSAS
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Smith Center, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 12.5 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 3rd-coldest finish to the year out of 78 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in MITCHELL, KANSAS
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Beloit, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 14.1 degrees through the final 8-days of December, resulting in the 5th-coldest finish to the year out of 88 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in JEWELL, KANSAS
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Burr Oak, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 10.5 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 2nd-coldest finish to the year out of 71 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in OSBORNE, KANSAS
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Alton (two miles southwest), the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 12.8 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 4th-coldest finish to the year out of 111 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in ROOKS, KANSAS
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Plainville (four miles west-northwest), the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 13.3 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 3rd-coldest finish to the year out of 103 on record.