Hazardous travel conditions are expected throughout Friday night into Saturday as an incoming winter storm will bring several factors along with it.
Rainfall began in the KVOE listening are around 4 pm Friday and is expected to turn to all snow by 9 pm. Currently, less than an inch of snow is expected in the KVOE listening area through Saturday with higher totals expected the further north you go.
A winter weather advisory for the entire KVOE listening area went into effect at 6 pm Friday evening and will remain in effect until 6 am Saturday.
Snowfall should end by sunrise Saturday.
A major concern is the combination of blustery conditions and biting cold which may cause difficulties for travelers throughout most of the day Saturday. Winds may be as high as 35 mph which will cause snow to blow and drift leading to impaired visibility on the roadways.
With wind chills below zero and overnight lows in the mid-teens motorists need to exercise caution to avoid sliding off of roadways.
City and County crews will be out in force to ensure the roads are bearable. Assistant Lyon County engineer Jim Brull says crews are ready to blade roads if it is needed.
City roads manager Mike Dvorak says crews will be letting snow accumulate before they begin to salting roads to avoid the salt being washed away. They will begin salting sooner if overpasses begin to freeze.
Early Friday evening Governor Laura Kelly issued a state of emergency declaration for the winter storm. This authorizes the use of state resources and personnel to assist with response and recovery operations in affected counties.
Conditions are expected to improve by Saturday evening with lighter winds and overnight lows in the low teens.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates. If you have schedule adjustments to report, call KVOE at 342-1400 or email kvoe@kvoe.com.
