April Snow Breaks Records As People Ask If Mother Nature Is OK

Snow records are being broken in multiple central U.S. states this week as experts have forecast that "unseasonably" cold conditions will persist.

Regional social media accounts of the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed on Wednesday that snowy spells on this scale had not been seen for years, with records being smashed at locations spanning Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas and Missouri.

The NWS branch in Wilmington, Ohio, said that 2.3 inches of snow that had fallen at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Wednesday surpassed the previous record, which had been set in 1901 at 1.5 inches.

In addition, the agency said that the 0.8 inches of snow that fell at Dayton International Airport on April 20 had set a record, with the previous being 0.4 inches in 2013.

In Louisville, Kentucky, WLKY reported that the 0.4 inches of snow that fell in the area on Tuesday had broken a previous record set in 1953. It said the amount between April 20 and 21 —1.8 inches in total—was the largest ever two-day snowfall this late in the year.

In Kansas, the NWS confirmed there was record snowfall on Tuesday in both Topeka and Concordia, with both measuring 3.1 inches. The prior record for the cities were both set back in 1918, with 0.2 inches in Topeka and 0.7 inches in Concordia.

It said in an Twitter update that a freeze warning would be in effect until 10 a.m. Thursday this week. "Protect or shelter any sensitive vegetation that could be killed due to the cold temperatures as well as outdoor plumbing sources," it advised.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the local NSW branch said that 3.5 inches of snow was observed to have fallen at Kansas City International Airport (KCI) on Wednesday.

The NSW said April 20 was officially the largest snowfall "this late into spring on record in Kansas City," confirming the prior record was 2.7 inches on the same date in 1992.

The unseasonable snowfall quickly got the attention of social media users. The Twitter account of Eldora Speedway in Ohio posted pictures of the snow, writing: "Every once in a while, Mother Nature drops in to remind us who is really in charge."

Rachel McLaughlin, an analyst at the Indiana Grand Race Course in Indiana, tweeted images of the snow, writing: "I think Mother nature is drunk." An Ohio-based Twitter user said: "Damnit Mother Nature...it's almost the end of April...get it together!"

In its latest advisory posted on Wednesday, the main NWS website forecast the wintery spells would continue to impact several states over the rest of the week.

The weather agency said: "Unseasonably cold air will continue to surge into the central U.S. toward the eastern U.S, leading to widespread freeze watches and warnings that cover much of the central U.S., Midwest and the interior eastern U.S."

It continued: "Numerous daily record low temperatures are forecast to be tied or broken this morning and Thursday morning as temperatures dip to below freezing.

"Residents in these areas are encouraged to take preventative measures to mitigate the impacts of sub-freezing temperatures on vulnerable vegetation if possible."