Travel conditions are improving, but slick spots are still out there Friday morning.
Freezing drizzle has been falling for several hours, but rising temperatures have helped by turning much of the freezing rain into actual rainfall. That trend will continue as temperatures climb above freezing by noon, if not sooner. Emporia Public Works Director Dean Grant:
Ice accumulation forecasts have been trimmed back from original projections. Early Friday, there was a concern of up to 0.50 inches of sleet and anywhere from 0.10 to 0.40 inches of ice accumulation. Now the forecast calls for up to 0.20 inches of ice, which will likely melt Friday afternoon as rain continues into the mid-evening hours. Totals and estimates:
*KVOE studios: 0.15 inches total accumulation
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.24 inches total accumulation
A refreeze is possible as temperatures drop to the mid- and upper 20s by early Saturday.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for weather and travel updates.
3:30-8:30 am Friday: Rain, freezing rain underway; one person to NRH after injury crash near I-35’s Industrial Road exit
Travel is slow going — and slippery going — across the KVOE listening area Friday morning.
Road crews began treating roads shortly after midnight in many cases, and rising temperatures have helped by turning much of the freezing rain into actual rainfall. In Emporia, main streets are occasionally icy. Residential streets, elevated surfaces like bridges and overpasses, sidewalks and parking lots are icy, but driving conditions have improved somewhat since 5 am. Highways are seasonal or slushy to completely covered, and there have been fender-benders and slideoffs during the overnight hours.
An injury crash was reported on Interstate 35 near the Industrial Road exit. One person was taken to Newman Regional Health afterward. US-75 just north of Burlington was temporarily detoured after a non-injury crash early Friday, but traffic is now moving around that location.
Lyon County Engineer Chip Woods says road crews may have to cross the county a few times Friday before the conditions improve.
Numerous closings, cancellations and other schedule adjustments have been reported. Click here for the complete list.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect for Lyon and most surrounding counties until noon with the risk of up to half an inch of sleet and perhaps 0.10 to 0.40 inches of icing until early afternoon. The good news, according to TV-13 chief meteorologist Jeremy Goodwin, is we won’t see the icing all day.
There is a refreeze risk Friday evening as temperatures slide back to the upper 20s.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates. Join KVOE on Facebook@kvoenews and Twitter@kvoeam1400 for weather and travel updates. If you have schedule adjustments, call 342-1400 or email kvoe@kvoe.com.
