UPDATE: Salina Gets Foot Of Snow
KSAL Staff - Thu 08:42 AM 02/21/2013
Traffic creeps through downtown Salina Thursday morning.
UPDATED: 9:45 PM all roads open again
The winter storm prompted officials to close Interstate 70 between Salina and Colby in both directions.
The Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Highway Patrol closed I-70 from Salina west to Hays in both directions at 11:30 a.m. due to the large number of slide-off accidents and limited availability of tow trucks. Many roads across the southern and western regions of Kansas are partly to completely snow-packed and travel is being strongly discouraged.
The Kansas Highway Patrol is urging motorists to stay off the road.
Trooper JL Riedel tells KSAL News that roads around Central Kansas are in terrible shape.
Riedel says "the roads are 100 percent snow-packed and icy, with many requiring four-wheel drive capability to be passable. I cannot stress enough that if you don't have to be out on the roads, don't go out and put yourself in a dangerous situation".
Riedel says that there have been multiple vehicles sliding off roads. He says that motorists that don't have to be out will simply be in the way of emergency crews and tow trucks.
Kansas transportation authorities say people in much of the state should just stay home.
Heavy snow has fallen across nearly all of Kansas with accumulations expected to reach more than a foot in some areas.
The Kansas Department of Transportation said about 11 a.m. Thursday that eastbound Interstate 70 near Maple Hill, Interstate 35 in Franklin and Lyons counties and other roads in the Kansas City metropolitan area are closed because of drifting snow and slide-offs. Several semi-trailer trucks are stuck on U.S. 54 in Kiowa County, making it mostly impassable.
The Kansas Turnpike Authority also encouraged people to stay off the turnpike on the entire route from Oklahoma to Kansas City.
Area Snowfall Amounts as of 6 PM
McPherson 13 inches
Ellsworth 13 inches
Lyons 12 inches
Salina 11.7 inches
Fort Riley 8.5 inches
Lincoln 6.5 inches
Manhattan 6 inches
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teams32
Thursday 21 February 2013 10:43 Report this comment
Good call http://oi50.tinypic.com/1z71ro1.jpg
Soundslave
Thursday 21 February 2013 11:09 Report this comment
"if you don't have to be out on the roads, don't go out"...unless you work for Acoustic Sounds, then risk it.
jabbajawz
Thursday 21 February 2013 11:17 Report this comment
11:15 and i havent seen one plow truck.
fritz2006
Thursday 21 February 2013 14:52 Report this comment
But Soundslave you make such big money!!!
buckstay
Thursday 21 February 2013 18:05 Report this comment
Has anyone noticed how many trucks with snow plows attached are driving down our snow covered streets with their blades up instead of plowing to at least where they're going? It's not the State or City plows, but everybody else. It would be nice to give a little once in a while instead of expecting or having to be paid. Nuff said!
Aurora.
Friday 22 February 2013 02:15 Report this comment
Taxpayer money does not pay for repairs if equipment is damaged in comes our of our personal pockets.