Western Kansas blizzard closes roads; Wichita forecast calls for freezing but no snow

Dec. 27--A winter storm brought blizzard-like conditions to Kansas and the Midwest, closing part of I-70 and other roads in the western half of the state Thursday.

Many parts of central Kansas were not expected to receive much -- if any -- snow, though strong winds and freezing temperatures were predicted, according to the Wichita branch of the National Weather Service.

"Do not attempt to travel west today," the Kansas Department of Transportation tweeted just before 10:30 a.m. Thursday. That travel alert was posted after both directions of I-70 were closed between Colby and WaKeeney, about 90 miles.

Later, another 50 miles of I-70, from Goodland to Hays, was closed. As much as 8 inches of snow fell on highways in northwest Kansas, the National Weather Service in Goodland said.

At 11:15 a.m. Thursday, nearly all roads in western Kansas counties were experiencing winter weather and blizzard warnings, according to KanDrive.

"This storm is packing a punch as it moves through," KDOT tweeted.

Both directions of travel on the interstate were reopened, from the Colorado border to Hays, at around 4:15 p.m., state officials said. But roads still had snow and ice in some areas.

State troopers responded to several crashes between Hays and Colby on I-70, said Trooper Tod Hileman with Kansas Highway Patrol.

"Please stay off the roads and stay safe, give (KDOT) time to clear them, it's not worth your life," Hileman said in a tweet. "A hotel bill is cheaper than your insurance deductible btw!"

Hileman later said there was a deadly crash on the interstate just outside Oakley. It was unknown whether state officials closed that portion of the interstate before the crash or if winter weather contributed to the accident. More information was not immediately available through the patrol's online crash logs.

Drivers can check road conditions online at KanDrive.org, where traffic camera views of snow-covered highways are also available.

In the Wichita area, drizzle and light mixed precipitation could lead to some slick spots, the National Weather Service said. A forecast called for wind gusts as high as 33 mph and temperatures as low as 24 degrees Thursday afternoon into Friday morning. The temperature on Friday wasn't expected to get above freezing.

Several snowplows with Wichita's public works department were out on city streets Thursday afternoon. Snowplows can be tracked online.

In central Kansas, forecasters predicted a slight chance for light snow on Saturday for an area roughly southwest of a line from Kingman to Wellington. Light snow was also predicted for Monday, but more specific locations and timing of the storm remain to be determined. Areas north of U.S. 400 are expected to have wind chills below zero on Tuesday morning.

This "post-Christmas storm" is affecting several states in the region, according to the National Weather Service. The storm system, named Winter Storm Eboni, reaches from western Kansas toward upper Michigan and Minnesota, The Weather Channel reported.

"Winter Storm Eboni will continue to bring wind-driven snow to the Plains and upper Midwest on Thursday, creating localized blizzard conditions in parts of those regions," according to The Weather Channel. "Eboni will also spread snow and ice across portions of upstate New York and New England by Friday morning."

Gov. Jeff Colyer declared a State of Disaster Emergency prior to the storm.

___

(c)2018 The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.)

Visit The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.) at www.kansas.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.