With brutal winter conditions expected Thursday and Friday, the city of Emporia and Lyon County have announced several warming center locations.
The Emporia Police Department and Lyon County Law Enforcement lobbies will be two of the locations. Pets will be welcome if the owner can control them.
First Congregational Church, 326 West 12th, will be open from 9 am to noon Thursday and 9 am to 12:30 pm Friday. Again, pets are allowed if controlled by their owners.
First United Methodist, 823 Merchant, will be open from 8 am to 5 pm Thursday and 8 am to 4:30 pm Friday. Pets will not be allowed.
The south main building at Twelfth Avenue Baptist Church, 2023 West 12th, will be available from 9 am to 5 pm Thursday and Friday. Pets are welcome if they can be controlled. Cats specifically must be in carriers.
Separately, the Sheriff’s Office says residents who may get stuck in snow drifts need to call the Lyon County Emergency Communications non-emergency line at 620-343-4225 for assistance. Residents will need to provide location, contact information and any arrangements to be picked up if that applies. Vehicles left in roads are considered traffic hazards and will be towed at owner expense.
The Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with Lyon County Public Safety Partners, has officially discouraged travel unless absolutely necessary.
Confidence remains high for air temperatures approaching -10 Thursday night coupled with wind gusts at or above 40 mph, shoving wind chills to -30 or below. The wind chill watches for area counties have now been replaced by wind chill warnings, and winter storm watches remain active for all area counties. Lyon and most surrounding counties are involved from 12 am Thursday to noon Friday, while Chae and Greenwood counties are in a warning from 10 pm Wednesday to 1 pm Friday.
Up to four inches of snowfall is possible.
11 am Tuesday: Travel discouraged, preparation urged as winter storm approaches
A major winter storm is still on track to blast much of the country later this week, including the KVOE listening area.
TV-13 meteorologist Doug Meyers says there shouldn’t be any weather issues until after sunset Wednesday.
Confidence hasn’t firmed up yet on projected snow totals, but the National Weather Service has issued a graphic indicating 2-4 inches of snowfall are likely Thursday. Meyers says at least 3 inches could be a good bet.
All travel issues will be compounded by biting cold — air temperatures as low as 2 Wednesday night, -10 Thursday night and -3 Friday night — and northerly winds at or above 40 mph between Wednesday night and Thursday night. That will drive wind chills to the -20 to -40 range and will cause blizzard conditions. Winter storm and wind chill watches affect all area counties for Thursday. The National Weather Service says this will be the coldest pre-Christmas period since 1989. Meyers says travel is not at all recommended from Wednesday night all the way to Christmas Eve because blowing snow will cause visibility and traffic issues, both with drifting roads and with multiple rounds of shoveling driveways and sidewalks possibly needed.
Kansas AAA Vice President of Governmental Relations Shawn Steward says it’s best to stay home — but it’s also time to have your travel kit loaded, just in case you absolutely have to go out.
The combination of wind and cold will definitely stress the power grid. 4 Rivers Assistant General Manager Mark Doebele says the utility does its best to minimize any widespread issues as part of a year-round process.
Doebele says one major concern is “galloping” lines, where the power line whips around uncontrolled. The combination of cold and wind could increase the risk of galloping lines. People need to stay clear of the lines if that develops.
If you have schedule adjustments to report, whether they are closings, cancellations, postponements or delays, call KVOE at 620-342-1400, email kvoe@kvoe.com or message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863. Click here for the KVOE.com Closings and Cancellations page provided by Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply.
6:30 am Tuesday: ‘High-impact’ winter storm still poised to blast area Thursday
It’s being called a “high-impact” winter storm, and the impacts could hit the KVOE listening area in several different ways all at once Thursday.
TV-13 meteorologist Doug Meyers says there is high confidence now for snow falling late Wednesday night through around midday Thursday. Confidence is also high in northerly wind gusts at or above 40 mph along with extreme cold. Confidence hasn’t firmed up yet on projected snow totals, but the National Weather Service has issued a graphic indicating 2-4 inches of snowfall are likely Thursday. Meyers says at least 3 inches could be a good bet.
Meyers also says travel is not recommended basically all the way from Wednesday night to Saturday. Blowing snow will cause a lot of issues — road drifts being just one of them.
Be sure to stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates this week. If you haven’t joined KVOE’s social media channels — Facebook and Instagram, both @kvoenews, and Twitter@kvoeam1400 — this would be a good time to do so for immediate information about weather and travel conditions, schedule adjustments and preparation tips.
