Winter Storm Ursa a Crippling, Destructive Blizzard; One of Heaviest High Plains Late Spring Snowstorms of Record

April 30,2017
Winter Storm Ursa has become a crippling, destructive blizzard from the Texas panhandle to Nebraska, stranding vehicles, downing trees and power lines, and whipping up snow drifts up to 8 feet in one of the strongest snowstorms to slam this area so late in the spring.
(MORE: How Winter Storms Are Named | Winter Storm Central)
Blizzard warnings continue for parts of northwestern Kansas, southwestern Nebraska, the western Oklahoma panhandle and the far northwest Texas panhandle. A mix of winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories have been posted elsewhere from Kansas to northern Minnesota.

Current Winter Alerts

Happening Now

Fortunately, snow is tapering off in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, and will begin to taper off this evening in western Kansas and southwest Nebraska.

Current Radar, Temperatures, Conditions

However, the damage has been done.
Numerous roads were closed in western Kansas Sunday, including a long stretch of Interstate 70 west of Hays to the Colorado border. Kansas National Guard dispatched teams looking for stranded motorists, some of which were being rescued on Interstate 70 in Thomas County, emergency management told the NWS.
A stretch of Interstate 80 west of Kearney, Nebraska, was also closed Sunday afternoon due to multiple accidents.
(LATEST NEWS: Winter Storm Ursa's Impacts)
Here are some of the latest storm reports as of late Sunday afternoon:

• Colby, Kansas: Estimated 14 to 20 inches of snow
• Herndon, Kansas: 6 to 8 inches of snow measured in 90 minutes.
• Elkhart, Kansas: Major tree damage, snow drifts up to 8 feet and power outages
• Cambridge, Nebraska: Power poles broken
• Red Willow County, Nebraska: Power poles snapped from Danbury to Lebanon
• Near Goodwell, Texas: 70 mph wind gust

Thundersnow has also occurred Sunday morning in several locations across western Kansas.
(INTERACTIVE: Your Current Radar)

Snowfall Forecast Through Monday

The culprit for this winter storm is a strong low-pressure system moving from the Plains to the Great Lakes region through Monday. On the northwest side of where that low moves is where accumulating snow and gusty winds are occurring.
(MORE: Where April is Typically the Snowiest Month)
Sunday night into Monday, the storm will spread snow and wind into the northern Plains and Upper Midwest.

Snowfall Forecast Through Monday

Additional accumulating snow is possible from central Nebraska, into eastern South Dakota and western/northern Minnesota. Parts of eastern South Dakota, western and northern Minnesota and Bayfield County, Wisconsin, could see 6 inches or more of wet snow.
(FORECAST: Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Twin Cities | Duluth, Minnesota)
In addition, strong winds with the intensifying low, combined with accumulating wet snow, may lead to some tree, power line damage and outages in this area.
(INTERACTIVE: When the Last Snow of Spring Typically Falls Where You Live)
A mix of rain and snow may also pivot east into northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Monday night into Tuesday.

One of Heaviest/Latest High Plains Snowstorms?

The fact this is happening on the last weekend of April may leave you wondering how unusual this is.
Given the High Plains, well, higher elevation, big spring and fall snowstorms are normal.
However, the snowfall totals we've seen so far from Ursa are quite unusual for this late in the spring.
According to Dr. Brian Brettschneider from the Western Regional Climate Center, the following are the record heaviest, latest-in-spring one or two-day snowstorms for each of the following states:

• Kansas: 10 inches at McDonald on April 29, 1984 (one and two-day record)
• Oklahoma: 12 inches near Boise City on May 3, 1978 (one and two-day record)
• Texas: 12 inches at Stratford on May 3, 1978 (one and two-day record)

If peak snow totals reported in western Kansas hold, Winter Storm Ursa would take the crown as producing the heaviest snowfall anywhere in the Sunflower State so late in the season.
Ursa's snow totals appear to be on par with the May 3, 1978, snowstorm peak totals in the Oklahoma and northern Texas panhandles, and produced more snow in the city of Amarillo (2 inches), than the storm a few days later in the calendar 39 years ago did (0.5 inch).
Here are selected snowfall totals as of late Sunday afternoon from Winter Storm Ursa:

• Colorado: 39 inches near San Isabel; 25.1 inches in Genesee; 2-5 inches in the Denver metro area
• Kansas: 14 to 20 inches in Colby
• Montana: 17 inches near Fishtail; 12.5 inches near Red Lodge
• Nebraska: 7 inches near Cambridge and Montrose
• Oklahoma: 12 inches estimated in Boise City
• New Mexico: 16 inches in Ute Park; 8.4 inches near Santa Fe
• Texas: 12 inches near Texline; 3 inches estimated in Amarillo
• Wyoming: 33.0 inches near Lander; 23.0 inches in Jackson Hole; 6.9 inches near Riverton

On Saturday, snow brought down tree limbs and power lines in portions of southeastern Colorado, including the Pueblo area.
The Denver area saw 2-5 inches of snow from Ursa, according to the National Weather Service.
MORE: Winter Storm Ursa

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