Red flag warnings are over, but outdoor burns are still discouraged across the KVOE listening area — possibly all the way through Monday.
Wind gusts were at or above 40 mph for much of Tuesday afternoon and evening, combining with temperatures approaching 80 degrees, dry grasses and low relative humidity levels to prompt the National Weather Service to issue the red flag warnings — and, by extension, automatic burn bans for all area counties.
Wind speeds will not be that strong Wednesday, but they will still be as high as 30 mph, especially for the morning hours.
Breezy to windy conditions are anticipated through Monday, with the Weather Service pinpointing Thursday and Sunday as the days with the highest fire danger.
In the meantime, it’s a cold Wednesday morning with air temperatures in the upper teens and wind chills just above zero, thanks to overnight gusts between 30-40 mph. This is a 60-degree temperature drop from Tuesday’s high temperature, which broke the previous record of 77 degrees set in 1976. Monday’s high of 80 was another record, breaking the prior mark of 77 set in 1999.
Currently, there are no travel issues in Emporia from light snowfall overnight. Kandrive.org shows seasonal driving conditions, or isolated icing, on US Highway 56 between Admire and the Lyon-Osage county line, as well as Kansas Highway 99 north of Admire.
KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media will keep you posted.
