Spouts of sleet, freezing rain and snow Saturday appear to be only the prelude to what’s expected today.

“The intensity will most likely pick up,” said Jennifer Schack, 6News chief meteorologist.

Sleet is anticipated this morning, which should change to snow by the afternoon, she said. Between 1 and 3 inches of snow and sleet accumulation is expected by Monday morning.

The winter weather was to blame for an accident on Interstate 70 on Saturday.

A pickup slid off the highway near the Lecompton exit just before noon when the driver “lost control on the icy roadway,” the Kansas Turnpike Authority reported.

The pickup, driven by Casey Groves, 27, of Smithville, Mo., struck the westbound 199 mile post sign and the embankment, according to the report. Groves wasn’t injured, but his passenger complained of minor neck pain.

There were only a handful of other minor slide-offs in Douglas and Jefferson counties, dispatchers said.

About 18 Lawrence street maintenance workers are working to keep city roads cleared during the winter storm, said Tom Orzulak, street division manager.

“We’re going to be here awhile,” he said. “You just have to be ready and react to whatever comes along.”

The cold weather and slushy streets weren’t enough to keep people away from downtown Lawrence.

Freezing rain and cold temperatures do not keep Kansas University sophomore Jessieca Mathews and Kansas University graduate Jeff Albrightton from walking their Siberian Husky, Sierra, on the 800 block of Ohio. The two headed out into the winter weather, even during a winter storm watch, for the quick walk on Saturday.

“The weather’s not going to stop me,” said Barbara Lara, as she shivered on Massachusetts Street with her sister, Jennifer Lara.

The snowy, icy conditions equate to big business for hardware stores, said Paul Groundwater, manager of Westlake Ace Hardware, 711 W. 23rd St. Ice melt, tube sand and windshield de-icer have sold quickly in his store the last few days.

Southwest Airlines canceled all flights to and from Kansas City International Airport at noon Saturday because of treacherous runway conditions, said Paula Berg, airline spokeswoman.

“Mother Nature can take a turn at anytime,” she said. Flights are expected to begin operating again today.

Other flights at the airport were delayed from 15 minutes to two hours because of the weather, an airport policeman said.

Greyhound also reported delays on its bus route from Kansas City, Kan., to Dallas because of severe weather conditions.

Oklahoma State University canceled its men’s basketball game against Nebraska on Saturday. The team couldn’t catch a flight because of icy weather conditions in Oklahoma City, according to the Oklahoma State Web site.