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January 14, 2026 - Heavy Snow Over Kansas
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A strong winter storm left a wide swath of snow across the prairie state of Kansas in early January 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this false-color image of snow blanketing Kansas grasslands and towns on January 11.
In this type of image, snow and ice show up as pale electric blue, vegetation is bright green, water looks dark blue and open land is tan. Clouds usually look white, but high, cold cloud that contains ice crystals may also be tinted electric blue.
The storm that left its mark on Kansas was the first severe multi-day storm of 2026, according to The Weather Channel. The storm began with vicious winds that spawned several tornadoes in Oklahoma and ended by dumping substantial snow across several states in a swath that roughly stretched from Oklahoma to Georgia. In Kansas, local news sources reported that the heaviest snow accumulation was 11 inches (28 cm) in the counties near the Colorado-Kansas border, with accumulation tapering off as the storm travelled eastward.
As the storm progressed, driving conditions across Kansas became hazardous, with cold temperatures and fresh snow creating plenty of slick, icy roads. For example, Barton County reported “a slew of slide-offs and vehicle crashes” between 3:30 and 7:00 p.m., according to a story in the Great Bend Tribune. In Pawnee County, which received about 4 inches (10 cm) of fresh snow, the Sherrif’s Office also responded to many car crashes and motorist requests for assistance due to the weather.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/11/2026
Resolutions:
1km (162.5 KB), 500m (438.1 KB), 250m (499.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A strong winter storm left a wide swath of snow across the prairie state of Kansas in early January 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this false-color image of snow blanketing Kansas grasslands and towns on January 11. In this type of image, snow and ice show up as pale electric blue, vegetation is bright green, water looks dark blue and open land is tan. Clouds usually look white, but high, cold cloud that contains ice crystals may also be tinted electric blue.
The storm that left its mark on Kansas was the first severe multi-day storm of 2026, according to The Weather Channel. The storm began with vicious winds that spawned several tornadoes in Oklahoma and ended by dumping substantial snow across several states in a swath that roughly stretched from Oklahoma to Georgia. In Kansas, local news sources reported that the heaviest snow accumulation was 11 inches (28 cm) in the counties near the Colorado-Kansas border, with accumulation tapering off as the storm travelled eastward.
As the storm progressed, driving conditions across Kansas became hazardous, with cold temperatures and fresh snow creating plenty of slick, icy roads. For example, Barton County reported “a slew of slide-offs and vehicle crashes” between 3:30 and 7:00 p.m., according to a story in the Great Bend Tribune. In Pawnee County, which received about 4 inches (10 cm) of fresh snow, the Sherrif’s Office also responded to many car crashes and motorist requests for assistance due to the weather.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/11/2026
Resolutions:
1km (162.5 KB), 500m (438.1 KB), 250m (499.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
