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Winter Storm Kayla: Plains Blizzard is One of the Heaviest Snowstorms of Record in Parts of Nebraska
Winter Storm Kayla: Plains Blizzard is One of the Heaviest Snowstorms of Record in Parts of Nebraska
Jan 17, 2024 3:31 PM

Winter Storm Kayla pummeled parts of the Plains with blizzard conditions, dumping over a foot of snow in some areas late Monday through early Wednesday. The combination of heavy snow and strong winds gusting up to 50 mph led to widespread travel impacts, including some interstate closures.

(MORE:)

In parts of Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin,during the height of the storm on Tuesday.Kayla was also one of the heaviest snowstorms on record in portions of Nebraska dating to the late 19th century.

The video above was shot in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Feb. 2, 2016, courtesy of The Weather Channel Facebook friend Brian Woodward.

Before hitting the Plains and Midwest, Kayla dumped more than two feet of snow across some higher elevation locations in California and Colorado to start the week.

We have more snowfall statistics and notables below in our snow reports section.

Midwest and Plains Region

Kayla's snow totals in Plains and Midwest.

Iowa

Boyden: 16 inchesSioux City: 12.4 inches (all on Feb. 2; )Mason City: 10 inchesWaterloo: 7.1 inchesDes Moines: 4.1 inches

Kansas

Park and Oberlin: 15 inchesSharon Springs: 14 inchesGoodland: 8.8 inchesLong Island: Drifts up to 5 feet, blizzard conditions with visibility under one-eighth mile

Michigan

Twin Lakes: 13.7 inchesLaurium: 11 inches

Minnesota

Bloomington: 13.5 inchesMpls./St. Paul Int'l Airport: 9.4 inchesMankato: 9 inches

Drifts against a door one hour apart in Grand Island, Nebraska, during Winter Storm Kayla on Feb. 2, 2016.

(Brian Woodward via The Weather Channel Facebook)

Nebraska

Grand Island: 18.3 inches (Second heaviest snow event on record, behind only a 21.6-inch snowstorm on Mar. 19-21, 2006)Hastings: 15.7 inches (Fourth heaviest two-day snowstorm on record, there)Norfolk: 14.2 inches (Third heaviest calendar-day snow on record, there)Near North Platte: 11.4 inches, with two to three foot snow drifts (heaviest snowstorm, there, since Oct. 30, 2009)Lincoln: 6.4 inchesOmaha metro: 4-7 inches6-foot drifts with reports of people stuck in rural Phelps County

South Dakota

Vermillion: 17 inchesNear North Sioux City: 14.5 inchesNear Yankton: 12 inchesLead: 8 inchesSioux Falls: 4.2 inchesRapid City: 3.4 inches

Wisconsin

Gile: 13.6 inchesPark Falls: 8 inchesEau Claire: 5.1 inchesMadison: 2 inches

West Region Snow Totals

Arizona

Grand Canyon North Rim: 15 inchesFlagstaff Airport: 10.2 inches

California

Lake Thomas Edison: 30 inchesGrant Grove: 27.1 inches

Colorado

Coal Bank Pass: 41 inches;Ft. Collins (foothills): 17 inchesNear Colorado Springs: 17 inchesDenver Int'l Airport: 11.6 inches ()

Nevada

Mount Rose Ski Area: 19 inchesEly: 10.2 inches

New Mexico

Near Red River: 22 inchesAngel Fire: 17 inchesChama: 13.5 inches

Utah

Blanding and Moab: 6 inches

Wyoming

Near Glenrock: 33 inchesNear Saratoga: 30 inchesNear Casper: 24 inchesNear Laramie: 22 inchesCheyenne: 16 inches

Wind Reports So Far

Winds have gusted as high as 53 mph in Grand Island, Nebraska, during the blizzard, there.

According to the National Weather Service near Omaha, blizzard criteria was met at Columbus, Norfolk, and Wayne, Nebraska Tuesday morning.

(MORE: )

Wind gusts over 40 mph were also measured in Michigan Tuesday evening, including East Grand Rapids where a wind gust of 46 mph was reported.

The potent area of low pressure aloft associated with Kayla pushed into the Southwest on Sunday. This brought a burst of locally heavy rain, and a few thunderstorms, into Southern California.

Damaging wind gusts were reported in Southern California on Sunday and. Injuries were also reported due to falling trees near Santa Barbara and Rainbow, California. Flash flooding also impacted the area including near Santa Barbara and Santa Clarita.

Whitaker Peak in Southern California recorded a gust of 115 mph and a gust of 87 mph was measured in the hills above Malibu.

On Monday, a wind gust of 95 mph was measured in SanAugustinPass, New Mexico and a gust of 61 mph was reported near Silverton, Colorado.

PHOTOS: Winter Storm Kayla

Young Tre Schlegel, 5, makes a path across Warren Ave at Madison St. to make way for his grandmother later in the day during a heavy snowstorm, Feb. 2, 2016. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

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