National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

North central Kansas and mainly far southern Nebraska saw widespread snowfall develop during the final day of 2012, as a winter storm system emerged from the south central Rockies and lifted across Kansas on New Year's Eve.  Snow developed right away in the morning on Monday, December 31st across north central Kansas, and spread north and east during the afternoon, before gradually tapering off in the evening.  Based on reports from NWS cooperative observers, the highest snowfall amounts of generally 5-8 inches targeted much of Mitchell, Jewell, Osborne, Smith and Rooks counties. Snow amounts tapered off to the north in Nebraska, however many locations between Highway 6 and the state line picked up at least 2-4 inches (Hastings measured 1.5.").  Farther north, locations near and especially north of Interstate 80 hardly saw any snow at all (Grand Island reported only a Trace).

Below is a list of storm total snowfall reports, primarily from NWS cooperative observers, as received on the morning of Jan. 1st. Also depicted is a regional snowfall map derived from this NWS snowfall analysis page. 
  

Snowfall map of the Central Plains  from Dec. 31, 2012 event (click to enlarge)