The message from the state of Kansas and local authorities regarding travel continues to be, “Stay off the roadways.”
In fact, the state of Kansas has discouraged any travel on roads for the next 36-48 hours as of Sunday afternoon noting the various road closures that have occurred across the state as a result of the first winter storm of the season that has blown through Kansas throughout the weekend. This includes many of the major highways through Lyon County according to Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell.
In a news release to KVOE News Sunday, Fell announced the Kansas Department of Transportation had closed the following sections of highways:
*US 50: Road closed between Lyon and Chase County Line and Interstate 35, 5 miles west of Emporia.
*Kansas Highway 99 between the Lyon and Greenwood County line 3 miles north of Madison.
*US Highway 56 near Admire.
*I-335: Road closed between Interstate 35 US Highway 50 and Exit 127 Emporia
*US Highway 56: Road closed between Kansas Highway 99 and the Lyon/Osage County line or 6 miles west of the Osage City area. Expect blowing snow.
City and county road crews are preparing to treat roads through the early evening hours Sunday into the overnight hours Monday. That said, Fell tells KVOE News that regardless of the work they do it could still be several days before road conditions become safe and passable again.
As KVOE News recently reported, the ongoing travel issues has raised some concerns for deliveries specifically of essential items such as propane and gas across the state. When asked if he is overly concerned about this development at the local level, Fell responded “not at this time.”
Another major concern for the local area has been widespread power outages that began popping up Saturday. This includes an outage that developed Sunday morning stretching from the southern Emporia city limits to as far as Fall River in Greenwood County at one time affecting more than 900 customers. That situation was resolved shortly after 3:30 pm.
Smaller scale outages have also been common place across the area with Evergy crews responding “In full force” according to Evergy District Services Manager Rolland Trahoon II. The only issue has been the high winds, ice and road conditions which have slowed down responses but not led to any major equipment damage as of yet.
It has, however, led to numerous schedule adjustments across the area which can be found by clicking here.
If you have schedule adjustments to report please message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863 or email KVOE@KVOE.com.
A blizzard warning continues for Lyon, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties until midnight and Chase and Greenwood counties until 6 pm Sunday. A cold weather warning goes into effect at midnight and will continue through 11 am Monday reflecting temperatures in the mid to upper teens and wind chill values near -20 in the coming days.
If you do have to be outdoors for any reason in that time frame it is important to bundle up and cover any layers of exposed skin to avoid issues such as frostbite.
Be sure to stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for more updates as they develop.
3:30 pm Sunday: WEATHER: Road closures announced across listening area as snow totals continue to rise
The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced a handful of road closures in and around the Emporia area as a result of large snow accumulations Sunday.
According to a news release from Lyon County Emergency Manager Jarrod Fell, the following road sections have been closed:
*US 50: Road closed between Lyon and Chase County Line and Interstate 35 5 miles west of Emporia.
*Kansas Highway 99 between the Lyon and Greenwood County line 3 miles north of the Madison.
*US Highway 56 near Admire.
*I-335: Road closed between Interstate 35 US Highway 50 and Exit 127 Emporia
*US Highway 56: Road closed between Kansas Highway 99 and the Lyon/Osage County line or 6 miles west of the Osage City area. Expect blowing snow.
The announced closures reflect better than 4 inches of snowfall since sunrise Sunday with the KVOE studios reporting just under 4.5 inches of accumulation as of 3:30 pm. If you have snow totals to report you can message them to the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863 or by emailing KVOE@KVOE.com.
2:30 pm Sunday: WEATHER: County and city road crews planning next round of treatment early Sunday evening into Monday morning once snowfall comes to an end; Visibility and passability continue to be major concerns with around 4 inches of snowfall already on the ground
Snowfall accumulations are living up to expectations in the core KVOE listening area Sunday.
As of 2 pm we have seen four inches of accumulation at the KVOE studios on par with the forecasted projections calling for anywhere from 4-9 inches. The accumulation and continued snowfall are having major impacts on local roadways some of which are nearly impassable.
Visibility is also a major concern as it is limited to roughly a quarter mile at a time due to the snowfall and high winds. KVOE News recently spoke with Emporia Public Works Director Dean Grant who says the current plan is for crews to go out and once again treat the roads after the snow event concludes by the mid-evening hours.
Lyon County road crews have also been out in force the last few days treating roads and according to Assistant County Engineer Jim Brull there have been some issues with slideoffs and visibility, however, a lack of additional vehicles out on the roadway has been a big help to county workers.
On a separate note, Evergy crews are continuing to respond to various outages across the listening area including a stretch from Emporia onto South Kansas Highway 99 into Greenwood County as far as Fall River. Earlier Sunday, the outage had more than 900 customers offline, which has been reduced to just over 500 as of 2 pm.
Evergy District Services Manager Rolland Trahoon II says crews are out in “full force” and have been since outages began developing Saturday. He says while the response has been large, efforts have been hindered at times by Mother Nature.
Looking at conditions on major highways, the majority within the KVOE listening area remain completely snow and ice-covered with the only exception continuing to be Interstate 35 which is partially covered.
A blizzard warning continues for Lyon, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties until midnight and for Chase and Greenwood Counties until 6 pm Sunday. A cold weather warning will begin for the entire area at midnight and continue through 11 am Monday reflecting high temperatures in the upper teens and wind chills approaching -20 through the early half of the coming work week.
The forecast has already led to a lengthy list of schedule adjustments across the area which can be found by clicking here.
If you have schedule adjustments to report you can message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply text line at 620-342-5863 or email KVOE@KVOE.com. The same goes for any snow totals across the area.
For more information on road conditions visit Kandrive.gov.
KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media will continue to provide updates as needed as the winter storm continues to push through the area.
11 am Sunday: WEATHER: More than 900 Evergy customers currently offline due to large-scale outage stretching from Emporia south into Greenwood County
Evergy crews are hard at work responding to a major outage that is stretching across multiple counties in the KVOE listening area Sunday.
According to the Evergy outage map, more than 900 customers are currently without power in a line that stretches from Emporia’s southern city limits down South Kansas Highway 99 as far as Fall River. A restoration time is currently pending as crews have been working around the clock the last 24 hours dealing with a slew of outages which have been the result of a combination of ice, wind and freezing temperatures which have hindered responses at times.
Speaking of the elements, the hard sleet snow mix which began in the overnight hours Sunday has begun to transition to a more fluffy powdery snowfall which is beginning to impact visibility across the area on roadways. Visibility on roadways is limited to as little as a quarter mile in some areas and drifting snow will be a constant concern throughout the remainder of the weekend as high winds are forecasted to reach 45 mph at times.
Snowfall is quickly accumulating across the area. Currently at the KVOE studios we have received 2.5 inches of snow accumulation.
If you have snow totals please message them to 620-342-5863 or KVOE@KVOE.com.
Again, local authorities are telling residents not to be out in the elements for any reason if they do not have to be. This includes in vehicles or on foot as sub-zero wind chills are expected for the next several days.
Wind chills between -4 to 2 are expected Sunday with chills possibly reaching as low as -20 before all is said and done. Be sure to stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for more weather updates as warranted.
For the latest road conditions visit Kandrive.gov and if you have any schedule adjustments, closings or cancelations to announce due to the weather please message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Text Line at 620-342-5863 or email KVOE@KVOE.com.
You can find the latest list of schedule adjustments by clicking here.
8:30 am Sunday: WEATHER: Sleet and ice give way to snow and sleet mix Sunday which continues to cause issues for both roadways and utilities alike
Scattered batches of ice and sleet Saturday have given way to more of a sleet and snow mix Sunday.
The mix began falling across the KVOE listening area in the early overnight hours and has already led to a noticeable blanket of snow across much of the listening area and various impacts across Kansas. With that in mind, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a verbal state of disaster declaration Saturday largely reflecting the travel issues on top of various road closures and power outages.
Speaking of which, as of 8:40 am Sunday, more than 200 Evergy customers are without power from a line extending south of Olpe into Greenwood County mainly affecting residents between Madison and Eureka with smaller outages reported west of Eureka. Additional small-scale outages have been reported in Morris County, specifically Council Grove.
Evergy crews are responding to the situations with restoration times currently pending. The National Weather Service office in Wichita posted to its official Facebook page just before 8:30 am that due to a power outage it has transferred its services over to the NWS Topeka office until further notice.
As for road conditions, nearly all major highways within the KVOE listening area are completely covered with snow and ice according to Kandrive.gov. The only exception at this time is Interstate 35 which is experiencing seasonal conditions meaning a partial covering of ice, snow and slush.
The ongoing snowfall has led to better traction for vehicles than Saturday when roads better resembled an ice hockey rink. That said, drivers are still being told to avoid traveling if possible as several injury accidents have been reported across the area in the last 24 hours.
You can find a list of said accident reports below.
A blizzard warning remains in effect for Lyon, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties until midnight and Chase and Greenwood counties until 6 pm Sunday.
A cold weather advisory is also in place across the area starting at midnight and countinuing through 11 am Monday.
If you do have to be on the roads for any reason, you are reminded to take your time and have plenty of distance between your vehicle and others. If you are involved in a non-injury accident or slide-off, it may be some time before tow trucks can reach you, especially in more rural areas, so make sure you have a fully stocked emergency kit with essentials such as water, food, blankets, phone chargers and a fully charged phone.
The forecasted high Sunday is 21 with windchills between -4 and 2 throughout the day and wind gusts possibly as high as 45 mph. Several closures both in and around Emporia have been reported over the last several days and the list of schedule adjustments remains lengthy at this time.
Click here for the list of closings, cancelations and schedule adjustments.
KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media will continue to bring you updates throughout the weekend as the storm system continues to develop.
3:22 am: WEATHER: Numerous outages reported; wintry mix begins early Sunday; cold weather advisory up for most area counties early Monday
Power outages began developing Saturday night after significant icing across the KVOE listening area. A lot of outages are underway early Sunday.
Over 800 Evergy customers were taken offline in a stretch from Emporia to Council Grove, including Dunlap, after a pair of outages developed early Sunday. Another 1,500 customers were affected by around 60 separate outages across the north half of Greenwood County and far northeast Butler County.
Over 130 Evergy customers between Emporia and Olpe were apparently impacted twice, once shortly before midnight and once shortly after 2:30 am. Another outage developed between Hartford and John Redmond Reservoir. About 60 customers were affected by the Hartford-area outage.
The outages’ likely cause, freezing drizzle and freezing rain, started transitioning to a wintry mix of precipitation around 2 am Sunday. A windy snowfall is expected after sunrise. Travel was not recommended due to the icing conditions Saturday and will not be recommended Sunday as 4-9 inches get blown around by gusts between 40-50 mph.
*Click here for the KVOE.com Closings & Cancellations page.
On top of the immediate impacts from our current winter storm, there will be lingering effects in the form of extremely cold temperatures. Lyon and all neighboring counties are in a cold weather advisory from 12 am Monday to 11 am Monday. Overnight air temperatures may be around zero, with wind chills approaching -25 before conditions gradually improve through the work week.
If you have not signed up for KVOE social media alerts, go to Facebook@kvoenews, Instagram@kvoenews, YouTube@kvoenews and X@kvoeam1400. If you need to announce a schedule adjustment for your business, church or nonprofit, call KVOE at 620-342-1400, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863 or email kvoe@kvoe.com.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
7 pm Saturday-1 am Sunday: Ice causes injury wrecks, at least two power outages Saturday
Several people were hurt in a rash of crashes in Lyon County late Saturday morning into early Saturday afternoon.
The wrecks involving responses by local authorities and Emporia Fire/EMS all happened in about a 90-minute window, and were apparently caused by freezing drizzle that lasted well into the night hours.
*Just before noon, a wreck developed at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 118, or nine miles southwest of the Emporia tollgate. Emporia Fire Capt. Wade Schmidt says three passenger vehicles and two semis were in a ditch. Nobody was transported.
*As law enforcement and emergency crews finished that call, they were dispatched to KTA mile marker 119, or eight miles southwest of the Emporia gate. Three vehicles apparently collided. Nobody was transported.
*An Emporia woman was hurt in a crash at Roads 175 and X shortly after noon. Lyon County Deputy Tom Hardin says Fareda Gallager, age 64, had to be extricated from her vehicle before she was taken to Newman Regional Health with suspected serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Hardin says Gallagher lost control of her vehicle in slick conditions before it spun and rolled.
*Shortly before 1:30 pm, a crash involving eight vehicles transpired at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 145, or 18 miles northeast of the Emporia gate and two miles southwest of the Admire tollbooth. Schmidt says four semis, two passenger vehicles, a box truck and a KTA snowplow were involved. A driver in an unspecified semi was extricated and taken to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka with suspected serious injuries.
Details about a reported injury crash in the 1800 block of Road G are pending.
Kansas Department of Transportation, Lyon County Highway Department and Emporia Public Works crews started treating roads shortly after noon Saturday and continued through the evening.
The icing that caused the wrecks and numerous calls to Emporia Fire/EMS for help with falls also led to two notable power outage before midnight. Evergy reported around 60 customers offline from Hartford southeast to John Redmond Reservoir. Once that was largely resolved, a second outage impacting over 130 customers developed along Kansas Highway 99 from Emporia south to Olpe. That outage was largely handled within an hour of first report.
Widespread outages are possible as icing continues overnight, perhaps reaching a depth of 0.25-0.50 inches.
The freezing drizzle and freezing rain will eventually change to a wintry mix before becoming all snow Sunday morning. Anywhere from 4-9 inches of snow are now expected, and visibility will be zero at times because of northerly winds at 40-50 mph. Winter storm warnings in place now will become blizzard warnings for Lyon and almost all surrounding counties — beginning at 3 am Sunday.
7 pm Saturday: Governor declares state of disaster declaration
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has issued a verbal state of disaster declaration for the state’s first winter storm of the season.
The declaration reflects travel issues developing since Saturday morning, as well as road closures, power outages and numerous closures. It also reflects the potential impacts on transportation in another way: deliveries for items like fuel and propane.
The Kansas State Emergency Operations Center is being staffed virtually, with representation from the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Department of Transportation, Department for Children and Families, Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Corporation and Kansas Highway Patrol.
The governor urges people to avoid travel if possible. If you must travel, Gov. Kelly asks people to have full tanks of gas, fully-stocked emergency kits and fully-charged cell phones. The governor also encourages people to check road conditions by going online to kandrive.gov or by calling 511. Other tips for travelers:
*Allow extra time for delays and slower traffic speeds.
*Buckle up and properly secure children in safety seats.
*Increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. Ice and snow significantly increase your stopping distance.
*Accelerate and brake gently. A light foot on the gas is less likely to make wheels spin on ice and snow. *Braking is best accomplished by pumping the pedal. If your vehicle has an anti-lock braking system, it is very important that you understand how to use it. Read the owner’s manual or check with a dealership for more information, and practice using it correctly.
*Make turns slowly and gradually, especially in heavily traveled areas (e.g. intersections that may be icy from snow that melted and refroze).
*Visibility is very important. You must be able to see out, and other drivers must be able to see your vehicle. Clean frost and snow off all windows, mirrors, and lights. Use headlights as necessary.
*If your car loses traction and begins to slide, steer into the swerve, or in the direction you want to go. Anticipate a second skid in the opposite direction as the car straightens out.
Freezing drizzle and freezing rain are expected until a wintry mix takes over early Sunday morning. The mix then shifts to snow shortly after sunrise, with 4-6 inches of snow driven by wind gusts of 40-50 mph causing whiteout or near-whiteout conditions for most of Sunday.
A winter storm warning continues areawide until 3 am Sunday. Blizzard warnings follow for most area counties, with Lyon, Morris and Wabaunsee counties in a warning until 12 am Monday and Chase and Greenwood counties involved until 6 pm Sunday.
Emporia, Lyon County and KDOT crews have been out since early afternoon, doing their best to keep the road network clear.
*Click here for KVOE’s Closings & Cancellations page.
*Click here for KVOE’s warming shelter information page.
11 am-7 pm Saturday: Blizzard warning announced for Lyon, several surrounding counties; road and street crews out across Lyon County
As the impact of freezing drizzle on area highway travel conditions is becoming increasingly evident, upcoming weather conditions have led to a new alert from the National Weather Service.
A blizzard warning will go into effect from 3 am Sunday to 12 am Monday for Lyon, Morris and Wabaunsee counties. Near-whiteout to whiteout conditions are expected, with 6-plus inches of snow combining with northerly winds as high as 45 mph to make visibility impossible at times.
Chase and Greenwood counties are in a separate warning from 3 am to 3 pm Sunday. Snow totals could be up to 6 inches south of US Highway 50 and up to 14 inches north of US-50, along with wind gusts as high as 50 mph.
Both warnings will replace winter storm warnings currently underway areawide.
Travel is not recommended through the weekend, whether for the KVOE listening area — Lyon and surrounding counties — or across most of Kansas.
Driving conditions have been going downhill for most of Saturday. Freezing drizzle started areawide by mid-morning, leading to partly covered highways or seasonal driving conditions — isolated icing — across Lyon and surrounding counties by 11 am. By 12:45 pm, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office had reported all county roads were covered in ice and Kandrive.gov indicated partly covered conditions across most area highways.
Lyon County authorities and emergency responders worked several injury crashes near Emporia from late Saturday morning to mid-afternoon:
*Just before noon, a wreck developed at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 118, or nine miles southwest of the Emporia tollgate. Emporia Fire Capt. Wade Schmidt says three passenger vehicles and two semis were in a ditch. Nobody was transported.
*As law enforcement and emergency crews finished that call, they were dispatched to KTA mile marker 119, or eight miles southwest of the Emporia gate. Three vehicles apparently collided. Nobody was transported.
*An Emporia woman was hurt in a crash at Roads 175 and X shortly after noon. Lyon County Deputy Tom Hardin says Fareda Gallager, age 64, had to be extricated from her vehicle before she was taken to Newman Regional Health with suspected serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Hardin says Gallagher lost control of her vehicle in slick conditions before it spun and rolled.
*Shortly before 1:30 pm, a crash involving eight vehicles transpired at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 145, or 18 miles northeast of the Emporia gate and two miles southwest of the Admire tollbooth. Schmidt says four semis, two passenger vehicles, a box truck and a KTA snowplow were involved. A driver in an unspecified semi was extricated and taken to a Topeka hospital with suspected serious injuries.
Details about a reported injury crash in the 1800 block of Road G are pending.
Kansas Department of Transportation, Lyon County Highway Department and Emporia Public Works crews are out treating roads and may be out through the weekend. Up to 0.50 inches of ice are still possible Saturday before a wintry mix of precipitation overnight and the snow Sunday.
7-11 am Saturday: NWS says travel to be ‘hazardous if not impossible’ with incoming winter storm this weekend
With 0.25-0.50 inches of ice Saturday and 4-6 inches of snow — or more — Sunday, Emporia Police Sgt. Marcial Hernandez has some simple advice for people wanting to travel this weekend:
Winter storm warnings are now in effect until midnight Monday morning for Lyon and most surrounding counties. Chase and Greenwood counties are in a separate winter storm warning until 6 pm Sunday. National Weather Service John Woynick says travel will be “hazardous if not impossible” this weekend.
The Emporia Police Department says Level 2 crash reporting is in place until conditions improve. In Level 2 reporting, officers do not respond to crashes unless roads are blocked or people are hurt. People involved in crashes need to exchange insurance information with other drivers involved, along with vehicle make, model and tag number. People in crashes also need to report wrecks at Emporia Police headquarters once it is safe to travel.
Also, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office says drivers need to go slow, allow extra stopping distance and have a stocked emergency kit.
Across the KVOE listening area, the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office says it will only report to calls involving injury wrecks and crashes with lane blockages, “full vehicle disability” and stranded people until further notice.
Kandrive.gov indicates seasonal driving conditions, or isolated icing, on the Kansas Turnpike and most state and federal highways north, south and west of Emporia as of 11 am.
Lyon County Assistant Engineer Jim Brull says the icing Saturday poses obvious concerns for drivers, including those in the Highway Department. So does the snowfall and wind combination Sunday.
Drivers who get stuck need to call Lyon County Emergency Communications at 620-343-4225, but they are advised response times will be longer than normal. Vehicles that are not traffic hazards will not get towed until the weather improves. Deputies will either wait for rides to pick up people who have crashed or will take people to warm places for pickups later.
Besides travel issues, the amount of icing sets up possible widespread and lengthy power outages. Evergy spokesperson Gina Penzig says the utility is ready as best it can be.
Schedule adjustments started coming in Friday morning and will likely continue into early next week. Check KVOE.com’s Closings and Cancellations page for the latest, and expect the list will be updated repeatedly through the weekend.
Several locations across Emporia are now warming centers with wind chills at or below zero expected at times this weekend through much of next week. Click here for that list.
If you have not signed up for KVOE social media alerts, go to Facebook@kvoenews, Instagram@kvoenews, YouTube@kvoenews and X@kvoeam1400. If you need to announce a schedule adjustment for your business, church or nonprofit, call KVOE at 620-342-1400, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863 or email kvoe@kvoe.com.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
