The storm moving across the state is not expected to affect evening commutes Wednesday — at least not in Wichita — but it could affect driving conditions Thursday morning.
It will also be cold.
Wichita is expected to see less than an inch of snow. It should start falling around 6pm Wednesday and continue well into the night. Increasing winds could also reduce visibility Wednesday night, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Darmofal.
“It won’t be very pleasant to be on the road tomorrow night,” he said.
Areas north and northwest of Wichita, where snowfall will be heaviest, could see snow in time to affect Wednesday night’s commute as the storm moves off the southern Plains and Rocky Mountains east and northeast through the state.
West and north-central Kansas, southeastern Nebraska, and Iowa are expected to see some of the largest snowpacks. In the NWS Wichita coverage area, some of the heaviest snowfall is expected to be in the area near I-70.
Salina and Russell are expected to see between 4-6 inches of snow.
Around Wichita, wind chill Thursday morning should make temperatures look like they are in the single digits. The morning low should be around 19 degrees, with a Thursday high around 34 degrees. Winds should be in the 20s to 30s with gusts around 40 mph.
Strong winds are expected to subside throughout the day on Thursday.
So far, February has been a dry and hot month.
Before Tuesday’s rain, Wichita had seen just 0.03 inches of precipitation for the month, about a half-inch below normal, Darmofal said. Tuesday brought 0.31 inches of rain.
This winter had 5 inches of snow compared to the normal 8.6 inches.
The remnants of the impending snowstorm are expected to melt away as a warming trend begins on Friday. Sunday is expected to have a high in the 60s.
So far in February, temperatures have been below normal. The second half of the month tends towards more normal and below-normal temperatures, Darmofal said.
The second half of February has average highs in the upper 40s. This year the temperatures should be lower.
