Next Storm Threatens Wichita All-Time Monthly Snow Record [Update: Record Broken]

February 26, 9 AM CST Update: The Wichita daily record snowfall of 4.8" yesterday, plus 2" so far today, brings the monthly total to 21", which breaks the record.

February 25, 8 PM CST Update: The heaviest snow appears to be passing south of Wichita. The National Weather Service reports just 1.9" so far today.

4 PM CST Update: The latest National Weather Service updated forecast calls for over 14" of snow at Wichita. This could exceed the old monthly record by an incredible 8":



Original Post:
It's still getting itself organized over the Rockies, but the next Midwest storm is threatening to bring heavy snow to Kansas for the second time within a week. The current forecast is calling for 6-12" of new snow for Wichita. If this verifies even slightly above the low end of the range, it could push the current monthly total of 14.2" above the all-time monthly record of 20.5" set exactly 100 years ago.

Second Biggest Snowstorm on Record at Wichita

8 PM CST Update: Unofficial reports of 12" or more of snow in Kansas have been added below.

Original post:
The latest National Weather Service storm total report from Wichita, Kansas indicates that the 14.2" so far is the second biggest snowstorm since records began in 1888. According to the latest hourly report, snow has now ended. Elsewhere in Kansas, unofficial reports were as high as 18". From the NWS:

.TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON   
.DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.    
            ..REMARKS..  
  
0440 PM     HEAVY SNOW       WICHITA MID CONTINENT A 37.66N 97.44W   
02/21/2013  M14.2 INCH       SEDGWICK           KS   OFFICIAL NWS OBS  
  
            OFFICIAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR WICHITA THROUGH 440 PM.  

0448 PM     HEAVY SNOW       NASHVILLE               37.44N 98.42W   
02/21/2013  M18.0 INCH       KINGMAN            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT   
  
0448 PM     HEAVY SNOW       SPIVEY                  37.45N 98.17W   
02/21/2013  M14.0 INCH       KINGMAN            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER   
  
0448 PM     HEAVY SNOW       KINGMAN                 37.65N 98.11W   
02/21/2013  M14.0 INCH       KINGMAN            KS   EMERGENCY MNGR   

The NWS chart shows the previous top 20 snowstorms at Wichita:



This storm will also make February 2013 a top-20 snowiest month and the 5th snowiest February at Wichita:



[Update] Here are some unofficial reports of 12" or more:

THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET  
CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE  
FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.  
  
SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT  
  
 INCHES  LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           TIME  
 ------  -----------------------  --  --------------   -------  
 18.00   NASHVILLE                KS  KINGMAN          0448 PM  
 14.20   WICHITA MID CONTINENT A  KS  SEDGWICK         0440 PM  
                 OFFICIAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR WICHITA  
                 THROUGH 440 PM.  
 14.00   NORWICH                  KS  KINGMAN          0503 PM  
                 7 INCHES OF NEW SNOWFALL SINCE EARLY THIS  
                 MORNING WITH TOTAL OF 14 INCHES ON GROUND.  
 14.00   SPIVEY                   KS  KINGMAN          0448 PM  
 14.00   KINGMAN                  KS  KINGMAN          0448 PM  
 14.00   CLEARWATER               KS  SEDGWICK         0348 PM  
 14.00   WICHITA MID CONTINENT A  KS  SEDGWICK         0346 PM  
                 OFFICIAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR WICHITA.  
 14.00   CLEARWATER               KS  SEDGWICK         0245 PM  
 13.50   HUTCHINSON               KS  RENO             0554 PM  
                 STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL RANGED FROM 12 TO 15  
                 INCHES IN THE HUTCHINSON AREA.  
 13.10   HUTCHINSON               KS  RENO             1142 AM  
 13.00   8 E KINGMAN              KS  KINGMAN          0644 PM  
 13.00   ELLSWORTH                KS  ELLSWORTH        0429 PM  
                 STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.  
 13.00   N LYONS                  KS  RICE             0404 PM  
                 SNOWFALL REPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTY RANGE FROM  
                 12 TO 14 INCHES.  
 13.00   MCPHERSON                KS  MCPHERSON        1203 PM  
 12.80   1 E HAYSVILLE            KS  SEDGWICK         0457 PM  
 12.50   WICHITA MID CONTINENT A  KS  SEDGWICK         0246 PM  
                 OFFICIAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL SO FAR FOR  
                 WICHITA.  
 12.00   4 ESE MARQUETTE          KS  MCPHERSON        0535 PM  
 12.00   MCPHERSON                KS  MCPHERSON        0534 PM  
                 STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WAS 11.8 INCHES WITH  
                 DEPTH AT 11.0 INCHES.  
 12.00   SALINA                   KS  SALINE           0438 PM  
                 SNOW TOTAL WAS REPORTED TO BE 11.7 INCHES  
 12.00   LYONS                    KS  RICE             1016 AM  
                 DRIFTS OF UNSPECIFIED DEPTH ALSO REPORTED.  
 12.00   5 N EL DORADO            KS  BUTLER           0930 AM  
                 RURAL REPORTS OF 12 INCHES OF SNOW NORTH OF  
                 EL DORADO.  

SnowNoGettin': Washington on Track for Record Lowest 3-Year Total Snowfall, Largest 3-Year Decrease

As the massive snowfalls of the 2009-1010 season fade into the rear-view mirror, Washington DC is close to ending meteorological winter with a near-record low 3-year snow total. With the latest nor'easter bombing out well offshore, there is no Presidents' Day snowfall this year, and model indications are that there will be little, if any, snow in the next 10 days. That would end meteorological winter with a puny 1.5", the lowest since the 0.1" in November 1997 through February 1998. For the past 3 years, the winter total of 13.4" is likely to be the second lowest on record, ahead of the 14.1" in the 3-year interval ending in 2008-09. This means that two of the three lowest 3-year totals will be the periods immediately preceding and following the record season of 2009-2010.

For the entire season (including all months), assuming no more snow in February, the highly erratic month of March would have to contribute nearly 5" for the 3-year seasonal total to exceed the current record low for the period ending in 1998-99.

Comparing consecutive 3-year totals, the current amount of 13.6" is a massive 54.6" less than the 3-year total ending last year, which included the record high season. This is over 13" more than the 3-year decrease observed in 1901-02, the current record decrease.

Images (click to enlarge):
- Washington 3-year snow totals ending at season indicated
- Lowest Washington 3-year winter-only (November-February) snow totals
- Lowest Washington 3-year snow totals (2013 to date)
- Largest decreases in consecutive 3-year Washington snow totals (2013 to date)
CapitalClimate charts from National Weather Service data; background image © Kevin Ambrose