It’s cold, but at least travel conditions aren’t as much of a concern Thursday morning as they were Wednesday.
Emporia’s main streets and more heavily-used residential streets are either seasonal, or isolated icing, to clear after 2-4 inches of snowfall — and Public Works Director Dean Grant says it was in part due to a lack of ice, in part due to sunshine and in part due to an early-morning start by street crews.
Outside the Emporia city limits, Lyon County Deputy Danny Broyles says most roads are in good shape. He says there could be isolated trouble spots.
Highway conditions also improved. All area highways were completely snow-covered at times Wednesday morning. Now virtually all are seasonal.
After a day where all area school districts closed and there were other schedule impacts for local and area government, businesses and nonprofits, Thursday has a much shorter list. Click here for the KVOE.com Closings and Cancellations list.
Area totals:
*KVOE studios: 3.25 inches
*Ninth and Lawrence: 4 inches
*BETO Junction: 2 inches
*3 miles west-northwest of Burdick: 1.5 inches
*Cottonwood Falls: 3 inches
*1 mile east of Osage City: 2 inches
*6 miles southwest of Overbrook: 4.5 inches
*1 mile east of White City: 2 inches
The main concern Thursday morning is cold, with air temperatures just below zero and wind chills at times near -15. A changeover from rain to a wintry mix to snow is possible Saturday, with more snow possible Tuesday.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for weather and travel updates. Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking will update the winter weather response during KVOE’s Newsmaker 2 segment at 8:40 am Thursday.
7:15 pm Wednesday: Emporia’s main streets clear off as county, state highway conditions improve
Emporia’s travel conditions, at least on the main streets, are in relatively good shape heading into the night.
Public Works Director Dean Grant says crews started heading out around 2 am, initially blading the city’s arterials and more heavily-traveled residential streets before following that with treatment materials.
Side streets are covered after 3-4 inches of snowfall in Emporia. County roads appear mostly passable and
highway conditions have improved as well. Kandrive.gov had highways as partly to completely covered for the morning hours. Virtually all area highways are now seasonal with isolated icing.
Grant says having an all-snow event instead of an ice-and-snow event, as was the case for the Jan. 4-5 winter storm that had lingering travel effects for much of the month, helped road crews — as did sunshine and temperatures around 20 degrees for much of the day. Grant says a refreeze is unlikely but possible overnight.
Overnight lows could be around 5 with wind chills nearing -10.
Most of Wednesday’s closings and cancellations are no longer in effect. Go to the KVOE.com Closings and Cancellations page for the active schedule adjustments.
Be sure to stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for weather, travel and schedule adjustment updates, including the possibility of a wintry mix Saturday and more snowfall Tuesday.
1:30 pm Wednesday: Level two crash reporting procedures ended, however, caution still advised for local motorists following moderate snowfall Tuesday into Wednesday
All told, the KVOE listening area is in pretty good shape when it comes to the latest round of winter weather according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Matt Wolters on KVOE’s Morning Show Wednesday.
At the KVOE studios we have received just over three inches of accumulation since snowfall began in the early overnight hours Tuesday into Wednesday. Wolters says those totals are on par with other areas across the East Central portion of the state.
Road conditions are passable with crews out treating since the overnight hours, however, crews have had to make more than one pass on some roadways due to the continued snowfall re-blanketing roads shortly after being cleared. The Emporia Police Department announced Wednesday afternoon that it’s no longer in level two reporting procedures after being announced Wednesday morning. With that in mind, Lyon County Sgt. Danny Broyles is asking drivers who do not need to be on the roads not to be until the snowfall wraps up to allow road crews plenty of time and space to operate.
Once the snowfall completely clears the area, the main concern for the next few days will be bitter cold temperatures according to Wolters.
KVOE’s closings and cancellations page has filled up considerably over the last 24 hours due to the forecast. Click here to see the latest schedule adjustments.
Be sure to stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates all week on the weather, travel conditions, schedule adjustments and warming center locations. If you have schedule adjustments to pass along to the community or area — whether they be closings, cancellations, postponements or delays — call KVOE at 620-342-1400, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863 or email kvoe@kvoe.com.
6 AM Wednesday: WEATHER: Roads are passable but drivers asked to be cautious as snowfall begins to add up across KVOE listening area
The KVOE listening area’s second winter storm this year has arrived.
Currently at the KVOE studios we have received just under three inches of snowfall with 4-6 inches expected before all is said and done by Wednesday evening. KVOE News recently spoke with Lyon County Sgt. Danny Broyles for an update on road conditions with Broyles saying the roads are passable, thanks to the efforts of local and state road crews.
That said, he recommends that if you don’t have to be on the roads, don’t be.
If you do have to travel for any reason, Lyon County Engineer Chip Woods says common sense and vigilance will be your best friends.
Emporia Public Works Director Dean Grant echoed that sentiment asking drivers to be aware of their surroundings and to take their time getting to their destination.
Both county and city road crews are out clearing roadways and, while it won’t be an easy job, it will be far less difficult than the previous round of winter weather the area saw in January as the consistent snowfall will be absent the layer of ice that preceded the significant snow totals that fell last month. That said, wind gusts will be between 20-25 mph at times throughout the day making blowing and drifting snow a concern.
With the forecast known for several days now, many schedule adjustments were reported to KVOE News over the last 24 hours and the list is continuing to grow. You can find the latest schedule adjustments here.
Be sure to stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates all week on the weather, travel conditions, schedule adjustments and warming center locations. If you have schedule adjustments to pass along to the community or area — whether they be closings, cancellations, postponements or delays — call KVOE at 620-342-1400, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863 or email kvoe@kvoe.com.
