Saturday's November snowfall was Topeka's heaviest in 135 years. How much snow fell here?

Tim Hrenchir, Topeka Capital-Journal
Updated ·2 min read
11

Topekans dug out Sunday after experiencing what the National Weather Service said was the capital city's snowiest November day in 135 years.

Topeka recorded 6.3 inches of snowfall Saturday, then an additional 0.9 inches early Sunday, amounting to a total of 7.2 inches, said Daniel Reese, meteorologist for the National Weather Service office here.

Saturday's total was Topeka's second-highest one-day November snowfall total since the weather service began keeping records here in 1887, Reese said.

The capital city's record snowfall for one day in November is 9.5 inches, set on Nov. 9, 1888, he said.

Kailee Hoeffner clears snow from her car windshield Saturday evening off S. Kansas Avenue. "I did not expect it to snow this much," Hoeffner said.
Kailee Hoeffner clears snow from her car windshield Saturday evening off S. Kansas Avenue. "I did not expect it to snow this much," Hoeffner said.

Topeka's record snowfall for any day is 17.5 inches, set on Feb. 27, 1900.

Saturday and Sunday's snowfall total alone was more than Topeka recorded over the entire winter of 2022-2023, when 6.1 inches fell here, the weather service's Topeka office said in a Twitter tweet.

How much snow did other Kansas cities receive?

The heaviest snow from the storm that swept eastward Saturday across Kansas fell in the central and south-central parts of the state.

The state's highest snowfall total was 14.1 inches at Marion in central Kansas, the weather service said. It also reported readings of 13 inches at Burns, 12.7 inches at Hesston and 12 inches recorded three miles east/southeast of Hutchinson.

Closer to the capital city, snowfall totals reported included 7.8 inches, three miles west/southwest of Topeka; 7.5 inches, three miles east of Emporia; and 6.8 inches, three miles north/northwest of Manhattan.

Snow covered the field late Saturday at Kansas State University's Bill Snyder Stadium in the Little Apple as Iowa State's football team defeated the Wildcats, 42-35.

What's forecast for the days to come?

A truck drives down S.W. Western Avenue in Topeka on Saturday as snow falls in the area.
A truck drives down S.W. Western Avenue in Topeka on Saturday as snow falls in the area.

Law enforcement officials on Saturday discouraged motorists from driving amid the potentially slick conditions brought by the wintry precipitation.

On Sunday, skies were sunny and street conditions improved as crews working for the governments of Shawnee County and the city of Topeka plowed streets and roads. Topeka temperatures reached a high of 38 degrees Sunday, compared to an average high for Nov. 26 here of 51

The weather service predicted Topeka would see sunny skies with high temperatures of 39 on Tuesday, 42 on Wednesday and 45 on Thursday, with a chance of rain Thursday night.

"Plenty of sunshine to begin the week should continue to cause the snow pack to shrink," the weather service website said. "But cool temperatures will remain until the snow is gone."

The snow melt could lead to some fog Tuesday morning, the weather service said.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka digs out after seeing its heaviest November snow since 1888