Print edition: 
Two people were killed in Rice County and dozens of accidents were reported in Wichita on Monday, authorities said, as the metropolitan area received its first measurable snowfall of the winter.
A Sterling man and Lyons woman died when their vehicles collided head-on just before 7:30 a.m. on K-14 just north of Sterling, the Rice County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Laverne Barnes, 75, of Sterling, was driving south on K-14 when his Chevrolet S-10 pickup was struck by a Pontiac Grand Am driven by Virginia Larkin, 29, of Lyons, according to the sheriff’s office. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Eight-year-old Brianna Larkin suffered a broken leg in the collision and was taken first to Lyons District Hospital and then to Wesley Medical Center.
All three victims were wearing their seatbelts, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. It’s not clear why Larkin’s car drifted left of center, though icy roads were considered a contributing factor in the collision, authorities said. A third vehicle was also involved in the collision, but no injuries were reported.
Slick highways were also blamed for dozens of accidents in the Wichita area Sunday night and during the Monday morning commute as drivers grappled with the snowfall.
“I didn’t think they were too bad,” Kansas Department of Transportation spokesman Tom Hein said of the streets and highways.
But it’s been many months since Wichita received a significant snowfall, he said, and drivers “get kind of out of practice,” Hein said. “Monday mornings are kind of a bad time to relearn the process. That’s what we were stuck with.”
Less than 2 inches of snow fell in Wichita. No serious injuries were reported, but multiple collisions caused a number of street or freeway closings — including Kellogg late Sunday night.
A few flight delays and cancellations occurred late Sunday night at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, but airport officials said they were caused by issues at other airports. No delays or cancellations occurred on Monday.
The Emergency Accident Reporting Plan was enacted for Wichita Sunday night and Monday, and a winter weather advisory for Wichita and the surrounding area is in effect until 6 p.m.
Several schools south and east of Wichita closed Monday due to the weather, but classes were held in Wichita. About 25 percent of USD 259’s bus runs were at least 10 minutes late, however, and district officials urged parents to keep their children inside the house or stay with them in the car until buses arrived.
As much as 3 inches of snow fell in Derby and portions of Sumner, Butler and Cowley counties, said Andy Kleinsasser, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
More snow is possible later this week in Kansas, forecasters say, but Wichita may only see a few flurries.
A storm system could bring light snow to central Kansas on Wednesday, weather service meteorologist Mick McGuire said, but the precipitation should stay primarily rain in the Wichita area.
