Snow expected in Wichita area this weekend

You want March Madness? How about a strong winter storm pummeling a hearty portion of Kansas this weekend, just as spring fever is starting to bloom?

As much as 10 inches of snow is possible north of I-70 in central Kansas, according to the National Weather Service, and much of the central and western sections could see 5 to 6 inches of snow from Friday night into Sunday.

“It’ll be a winter storm, all right,” said Eric Schminke, a meteorologist for the Wichita branch of the weather service.

The Wichita area can expect 2 to 3 inches of snow by early Sunday afternoon. The higher amounts will be in northern Sedgwick County, Schminke said.

Residents of the Wichita area should monitor forecasts for possible changes, weather service meteorologist Vanessa Pearce said. Snowfall totals in the area will depend largely on how soon rain transitions to snow.

North-northeast winds will range from 15 to 25 mph during the event, Schminke said, with gusts occasionally touching 30 mph.

“There’ll be some drifting,” he said, “but certainly nothing compared to the Feb. 25-27 storm,” when widespread blizzard conditions were reported.

This story was originally published March 21, 2013 at 7:21 PM with the headline "Snow expected in Wichita area this weekend."