Latest forecast shows snow predictions in Kansas, concern for ice storm elsewhere

Friday morning forecasts show that the severe winter storm hitting today, which is expected to affect most of the eastern half of the U.S., will drop snow on all corners of Kansas — with the largest amounts in the Sunflower State being in south-central and southeast Kansas.

All of Kansas is forecast to have multiple days of wind chills reaching the negatives.

Starting this morning and going through Monday morning, Kansans could see wind chills in the negative single digits to the negative 20s. Wichita’s coldest temp of the storm so far was negative 4 degrees roughly between 8 and 9 a.m on Friday morning. First responders have urged people to stay home and inside.

The storm is also forecast to bring minus-50 degree wind chills in the northern parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.

Here is a look at snowfall predictions around the state:

Also, on Friday morning, meteorologists at the NWS Wichita slightly adjusted the predicted timing of when the snow will start and stop in the area. They now say it will fall in the Wichita area in two rounds: Friday evening through Saturday morning and again Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Here is a look at the latest forecast:

NWS weather models released Friday morning show the snow storm now moving farther north as it stretches east to the coast.

And, just south of that snow storm, roughly 10 states, from Texas to Virginia, are expected to have freezing rain and sleet.

The NWS Weather Prediction Center called it “catastrophic ice accumulation.”

“Long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous and impassable travel conditions are likely,” the prediction center said. “Catastrophic impacts are expected where freezing rain amounts exceed a half inch, with over one inch totals possible in parts of northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, and Mississippi, as well as the southern Appalachians.”