Driving in western Kansas this weekend? NWS predicts up to 7 inches of snow along I-70
If you plan to travel through western Kansas this weekend, you may want to avoid the up to 7 inches of snow predicted for areas along the interstate highway. After-Christmas travelers can also expect rain in other parts of the state.
The National Weather Service office in Goodland issued a winter storm watch for its tri-state service area of northwest Kansas, northeast Colorado and southwest Nebraska. The watch runs from 5 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. Saturday, and both I-70 and I-80 run through affected counties.
“Heavy mixed precipitation possible,” NWS meteorologists wrote in an urgent message about winter weather. “Total snow accumulations of up to 7 inches and ice accumulations of around two tenths of an inch possible. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.”
The weather service forecast said precipitation will start Friday as rain, creating a potential for flooding, before transitioning to freezing rain, a wintry mix and snow. Precipitation could freeze on roadways as colder air arrives Friday night, creating slippery road conditions. Patchy blowing snow could reduce visibility. Hazardous weather conditions will impact both the morning and evening commutes.
Northwest Kansas counties under the winter storm watch that also have portions of I-70 are Sherman, Thomas, Logan and Gove counties — though some light snow may fall in southwest and north-central Kansas.
In Goodland specifically, the National Weather Service predicts an 80% chance of precipitation during the day Friday followed by an overnight chance of 60%. The rain, snow and freezing rain is expected to start falling before 4 p.m. The daytime high temperature will be around 36 degrees with an overnight low temperature around 30 degrees.
Saturday brings a 50% chance of daytime precipitation and a high temperature of around 37 degrees. There is a small chance for patchy, blowing snow that night with an overnight low temperature of around 18 degrees.
In Dodge City, the NWS predicts a 90% chance of freezing rain and sleet Friday morning with little ice accumulation. The storm’s precipitation in southwest Kansas will turn to rain later Friday and continue into Saturday morning. The overnight low is expected to be just above freezing, at 33 degrees.
In Wichita, weather service forecasters predict rain this weekend, starting with a 70% chance after 4 p.m. Friday, followed by an overnight chance of 90% and a daytime Saturday chance of 90%. The Friday to Saturday overnight low temperature will be around 46 degrees.
In Topeka, the weather service forecasts a small chance for daytime Friday rain, followed by an overnight 90% chance of rain that starts at 9 p.m. with a low temperature of around 39 degrees. Saturday’s daytime forecast has a 100% chance for rain, which drops to 40% that night.
All forecasts were current as of Thursday afternoon.
The storm comes just a couple days after the National Weather Service recorded a record-high Christmas Day temperature of 68 degrees for Wichita.
How to check Kansas road conditions
Drivers can check a map of Kansas highway weather safety conditions at www.kandrive.org/kandrive. Kansas Department of Transportation statewide highway traffic cameras and Wichita cameras are also available online.
Internet users can also follow the paths of Wichita snowplows at www.wichita.gov/PWU/Pages/SnowRemoval.aspx.
The Kansas Division of Emergency Management encourages travelers to prepare a home emergency kit that includes food, water, medications, extra clothing, flashlights and batteries, battery-operated NOAA weather radio and other necessities. When traveling during winter storms, fill the fuel tank, charge your cellphone and bring an emergency kit, the state agency advises.
If you know of a closing, cancellation or postponement because of the snowstorm, please email details to The Wichita Eagle at online@wichitaeagle.com. Weather-related photos and videos can be submitted to The Eagle online at www.kansas.com/customer-service/submit-photo/.