Temperatures will get above freezing Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean the impact of our extended cold blast has melted away just yet.
Most area school districts were planning to return to school Tuesday after taking Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr Day, but the bitter cold wind chills Tuesday caused issues for people and equipment — safety for people, simply starting for buses. USD 253 Superintendent Allison Anderson-Harder mentioned the equipment issues Tuesday on the monthly KVOE Showcase:
Three area school districts have had urgent situations develop Wednesday morning. In Lyon County, Hartford High opened as scheduled but had to close at 9 am due to a water line break. USD 454 Burlingame is now closed all day due to a water main break. USD 456 Marais des Cygnes’ elementary school building is also closed because of a water line break.
Water issues weren’t limited to schools. The city of Burlington has been dealing with elevated water use for the second time in three days. Residents have been asked to check homes for decreased water pressure. Hartford had low water pressure for about 30 minutes before a stuck valve was discovered.
The combination of cold, occasional light snowfall and persistent moderate to high winds have caused county and KDOT road crews to go out repeatedly now for a week and a half, clearing and re-clearing roads. Lyon County Deputy Doug Stump:
In town, Emporia Police Capt. Ray Mattas says main roads are in relatively good shape. Side streets are another story.
Area highways are basically clear to seasonal, with isolated to scattered icing essentially just north, east and west of Emporia.
Travel conditions should improve considerably Wednesday as highs get to the mid-30s with abundant sunshine and occasionally breezy conditions. Thursday will have a high in the upper 20s before a shot of more cold air brings us an overnight low near zero Thursday night with wind chills at -20 or lower. Friday will have a high in the low teens and wind chills below zero all day.
Be sure to stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for more weather updates as they develop.
If you have schedule adjustments — closings, cancellations, delays or postponements — to announce, call KVOE at 620-342-1400, email kvoe@kvoe.com or message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863. To find us on social media, look for Facebook@kvoenews, Instagram@kvoenews, YouTube@kvoenews or X@kvoeam1400.
