Garden City sees highest single-day snowfall amount in nearly 10 years

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — Most of western Kansas woke up to a winter wonderland on Thursday morning, as blizzard-like conditions blanketed the ground. The weather caused many businesses’ and roads to be closed, while many were also without power.

“Our guys were out working all day long on the roads,” said Lisa Knoll, Southwest Kansas KDOT Public Affairs Manager. “A lot of people have asked why we didn’t treat the roads prior to the blizzard, but with the rain coming before it, we couldn’t have done anything about it. The rain would have just washed the melt away anyways.”

The National Weather Service reported Scott City received 9 inches of snow, while portions of Finney County received around 6-7 inches. It wasn’t just the snowfall that brought a lot of havoc, it was the wind. The NWS also said that areas of southwest Kansas had over 60 mph winds that caused a blizzard warning from midnight until 12 p.m. on Thursday.

Some places reported drifts as high as three feet in Finney County, while some places in Scott County saw even higher drifts.