By SALINA POST
Residents should prepare for hazardous travel conditions this weekend as a significant winter storm is forecast to hit the Salina area starting Saturday afternoon, according to Brian Baerg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The storm is expected to begin with light freezing drizzle or freezing rain Saturday afternoon or evening, potentially transitioning through a brief period of sleet before turning into all snow late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
“The timing of that transition from freezing rain to snow is critical,” Baerg said. “It will determine the total snow accumulation, but regardless of the amounts, the combination of ice and snow will make travel conditions very hazardous.”
Once the precipitation transitions to all snow, the storm is expected to intensify with gusty north winds reaching 30 to 40 miles per hour at times. These conditions could lead to near whiteout visibility, especially on Sunday.
“We’re really encouraging folks with travel plans for Saturday afternoon through much of Sunday to delay or adjust them,” Baerg said. “Travel will be quite difficult during this time.”
While current forecasts do not officially classify the storm as a blizzard, Baerg noted that near-blizzard conditions are possible. Saline County is currently under a winter storm watch, and the National Weather Service will continue to evaluate updated models to determine whether the area warrants a winter storm warning.
Saline County Emergency Management Director Michelle Weis shared that Salina will see its first significant winter weather of the season this weekend. She noted that if enough ice accumulates, the city is likely to implement its slick streets policy, requiring non-injury accident reports to be filed online to free up emergency resources.
“If we do get the amount of ice that they're predicting, the city will enact their slick streets reporting for accidents. This just means that for accident reporting, as long as no one's injured and you can safely get out of the roadway, you'll file that report online," Weis said.
She also discussed concerns about dangerously low wind chills, with temperatures expected to reach negative single digits on Sunday and double digits polar wind chills on Monday morning.
“I applaud the citizens for making it through these events without a single carbon monoxide incident," Weis said. "Sometimes we’re not as lucky, and it’s just from people finding unconventional ways to heat their homes. Use space heaters in a safe environment—not plugged into power strips—and supervise them. If you leave your home, don’t leave it plugged in.”
Saline County Emergency Management is exploring the availability of extended warming shelters for those in need over the weekend.
“We’re looking to see if we can find something that would extend later hours on Sunday, especially if the dangerously low temperatures hold true," Weis said. "Typical places like the mall and the YMCA might not be enough since this town is known to shut down earlier on Sundays.”
Weis said that ice accumulation is expected to be around one-tenth of an inch, enough to create dangerous travel conditions and potentially cause power outages in residential areas with smaller utility lines.
“The smaller lines off the main ones, like in residential areas where the lines aren’t as thick, absolutely have the potential to go down," Weis said."If ice accumulates on broken or weakened tree limbs, that can certainly cause its own issues.”
For updates check out the Saline County Emergency Management Facebook page here.
Warming shelters
The Salina Grace Foundation operates a community resource center and a winter-only overnight emergency shelter to assist those in need. The resource center, located at 315 S. Broadway Blvd. in Salina, is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The winter shelter, open from November 15 to March 15, is located at 304 W. Grand Ave. and accepts check-ins between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Residents are advised to monitor forecasts closely and prepare for potential disruptions.
Check Kandrive.gov for travel updates and road conditions.
Winter weather NWS advisories, watches and warnings
Winter Storm Watch- At least a 50% chance for snow accumulations of 2"+ within 12 hours OR ice/freezing rain accumulations of 1/4"+ during a 12-24 hour period OR sleet accumulations of 1/2"+ in a 12-24 hour period OR situations in which criteria may not be met but impacts may still be significant. in the next 12 to 36 hours.
Winter Weather Advisory- Snow, sleet, and/or freezing rain events that are of significance to the public but do not constitute a serious enough threat to life and property to warrant a warning.
Wind Chill Advisory-Wind chill temperatures between -10°F and 9°F with wind speeds greater than or equal to 10 mph.
Winter Storm Warning-80% confidence within the next 24 hours for snow accumulations of 2"+ within 12 hours OR ice/freezing rain accumulations of 1/4"+ during a 12-24 hour period OR sleet accumulations of 1/2"+ in a 12-24 hour period OR situations in which criteria may not be met but impacts may still be significant.
Ice Storm Warning-80% confidence within the next 24 hours for ice/freezing rain accumulations of 1/4"+ during a 12-24 hour period AND/OR sleet accumulations of 1/2"+ in a 12-24 hour period with very little or no snow accumulation.
Wind Chill Warning-Wind chill temperatures below -10°F with wind speeds greater than or equal to 10 mph.
Freeze Warning-Temperatures at or below 32°F for at least 1 to 2 hours during a climatalogically significant time of the year (first freeze of the fall, a freeze soon after vegetation has budded/bloomed in the spring, a freeze during the growing season)