Topeka ? Winter sent a calling card Tuesday, hitting Kansas and the Plains states with heavy, wet snow, strong winds and even thunder.

By midday, roads were snowpacked from central Kansas to the Colorado border, with numerous schools closed and activities postponed. A winter storm warning was posted for much of the state through early Wednesday, forecasters said.

Philip Bills, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka, said the heaviest snowfall was expected in central Kansas, with 6 to 9 inches forecast near Russell.

“It’s a pretty good storm,” he said, noting that gusting winds were causing near-blizzard conditions near Dodge City.

The storm dropped much-needed rain over the eastern half of the state, before changing over to snow. Chanute reported 0.85 inches of rain, with Olathe picking up 0.82 inches, Hutchinson 0.7 and Topeka 0.6.

Officially, the National Weather Service recorded 1.1 inches of precipitation at Lawrence Municipal Airport for the day.