Spring doesn’t end winter weather

Slight warm-up predicted, but cold could remain through next week

Wintry conditions put a late-March freeze Monday on Lawrence, dropping temperatures into the 20s with a dusting of snow.

But that was nothing compared to Nebraska and western Kansas, where up to 7 inches of snow fell Sunday night from Goodland to Omaha, Neb. Classes were canceled Monday at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an airliner slid off the runway in Omaha. No one was injured when the plane fishtailed and could not stop after an icy landing, The Associated Press reported.

In Lawrence, a slight warm-up is predicted, but the cold temperatures could remain through next week.

“The overall weather pattern across the entire country has sort of remained in a winter-type pattern,” said Wes Etheredge, a meteorologist with WeatherData in Wichita. “It’s not a connection to anything global; it’s just sort of a late winter persistence.”

Etheredge said the warming trend would be followed by cold conditions.

“It looks like we’ll be in this pattern for at least the next week,” he said.

Today, expect morning lows in the mid 20s, decreasing clouds and highs in the 40s. On Wednesday, it will be near 30 in the morning with a high in the low 50s.

The Kansas basketball team will see spring weather in Atlanta this weekend for the Final Four, Etheredge said, with highs in the 70s and a chance of showers.

The weather in Kansas will be a bit different at game time Saturday, Etheredge predicted, with highs in the mid 50s and partly cloudy skies. But that won’t matter if you’re watching the game.

“It will be dry and warm inside,” he said.