The Kansas Division of Emergency Management issued a statewide alert on cell phones Sunday evening, warning residents to avoid driving unless they absolutely have to travel.
A number of roads were closed in north central and northeastern Kansas, and conditions were described as very dangerous. Eastbound Interstate 70 was closed at Hays, and westbound I-70 was closed at the Missouri state line in Kansas City.
In Reno, Harvey and Butler counties, state transportation officials issued a travel alert and said state highways were closing because of the impacts from the weekend storm. The highway closings included I-135, U.S. Highway 50, Kansas Highway 196 and K-15.
The Kansas Turnpike Authority has closed its administrative offices in Wichita, Topeka and Lawrence, including the three customer service centers, for Monday.
Snow began spreading across Kansas late Saturday night into Sunday and blizzard conditions were reported with north winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour.
A mix of freezing drizzle and sleet fell across the Wichita area on Saturday, and it changed to snow early Sunday morning with moments of thunder and lightning. Snowfall amounts were in the 3 to 6 inch range in south central Kansas, with higher amounts in the northeastern part of the state. Topeka reported almost 14 inches of snow with Manhattan close to 15 inches.
The snow is covering ice from Saturday’s wintry mix of precipitation, and there are hazardous driving conditions. Law enforcement agencies have been urging people to stay home if they don’t have to travel.
[ image: KanDrive.org ]
