Lawrence road crews begin plowing neighborhoods; Sidewalk snow ordinance deadline is 8 a.m. Saturday

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11:18 a.m. update

Now that snow has stopped falling, the city of Lawrence announced its sidewalk snow ordinance goes into effect on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 8 a.m. However, code enforcement officers will not evaluate complaints until Monday, Jan. 24 at 8 a.m., pending any additional snowfall this weekend.

Property owners need to have all public sidewalks cleared of snow by that time or risk receiving a fine.

Residents can start submitting complaints at 8 a.m. Saturday. Complaints can be filed online or by calling (785) 832-7700.

The city does not consider flurries to be additional accumulating snowfall, but if Lawrence gets additional accumulation, the time period for shoveling will reset to the end of the latest snow event.

10:09 a.m. update

The primary streets in the city of Lawrence all appear to be in very good shape.

Bare pavement is visible in areas and all have been heavily plowed and treated with a mixture of sand and salt. With the sun peeking out from behind the clouds, the roads should be in good condition for the evening commute.

With that out of the way, city crews are now concentrating in two areas: residential streets, which still seemed mostly unplowed, and clearing the snow out of downtown Lawrence.

If you’ve never been downtown after a snow storm, the city’s plows move all the snow to the center of the roads, so as not to cover valuable parking spots. Then, once the snow has stopped, other city crews come in with front loaders and dump trucks to haul the snow out of downtown, to their maintenance yard in east Lawrence, where it eventually melts.

City crews will be shutting down blocks of Vermont, New Hampshire and Masschusetts streets, as well as numbered streets that cross those, between 6th and 11, in one block increments until all the snow has been hauled away.

Richard Gwin was out early this morning and has a photo of the activity.

8:10 a.m. update

Crews worked overnight to clear main roads and are now plowing residential areas of Lawrence, according to a press release from the city.

Road crews will focus on plowing hilly neighborhoods and begin hauling snow from the downtown area throughout the day Thursday. Workers will close downtown streets one block at a time to remove snow starting with Massachusetts Street. Snow will be cleared on north/south streets first and then east/west streets.

Lawrence Transit and KU on Wheels are operational, but riders should expect delays until conditions improve.

7:46 a.m. update

Snowfall will end Thursday morning and no additional accumulation is expected, according to the latest National Weather Service update. However, some drifting may occur.

KDOT has updated highway conditions for Douglas County, and it looks like the wind is causing some problems on U.S. Highway 56:

  • I-70 — Partly snowpacked
  • Kansas Highway 10 — Completely snowpacked
  • Kansas Highway 32 — Completely snowpacked
  • U.S. Highway 24 — Completely snowpacked
  • U.S. Highway 40 — Completely snowpacked
  • U.S. Highway 56 — Drifting
  • U.S. Highway 59 — Completely snowpacked

5 a.m. update

The winter storm warning for Douglas County has been canceled.

As of 12:22 a.m., Lawrence officially had 6.7 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. Thursday’s predicted high is 21 degrees with a 20 percent chance of snow before noon.

KDOT’s 4:35 a.m. road conditions report lists all highways in Douglas County as either “completely snowpacked” or “mostly snowpacked:”

  • I-70 — Mostly snowpacked
  • Kansas Highway 10 — Completely snowpacked
  • Kansas Highway 32 — Completely snowpacked
  • U.S. Highway 24 — Completely snowpacked
  • U.S. Highway 40 — Completely snowpacked
  • U.S. Highway 56 — Completely snowpacked
  • U.S. Highway 59 — Mostly snowpacked

1:03 a.m. update

The snow started falling in Lawrence early Wednesday afternoon and refused to stop.

Area residents reported snowfall in excess of five inches throughout the evening hours as a fast-moving winter storm swept across northeast Kansas.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Douglas County and its surrounding counties that was to expire this morning, but not until it had dumped an additional one to three inches of snow, for a total of up to eight inches in less than 24 hours.

Lawrence street crews began working 24-hour shifts Wednesday morning in preparation for the storm and had all roads in the city treated with sand and salt before 4 p.m.

The city, as well as the National Weather Service, urged drivers to use caution or reconsider travel plans until the storm subsided, and it appeared many listened. Douglas County dispatchers received calls from motorists requesting assistance, but no major accidents were reported as of Wednesday evening.

City crews will continue to work 24-hour shifts until the storm has passed.

The winter storm warning was set to expire at 6 a.m. today.

10:00 p.m. update

The National Weather Service has reduced the amount of snowfall expected for the remainder of the winter storm warning. One to three additional inches of snow are possible in the Lawrence and Oskaloosa areas.

Because of the large amount of snowfall, many area school districts announced they would be closed Thursday. Here’s a full list of closings and cancellations for tomorrow.

9:01 p.m. update

Lawrence residents have reported more than five inches of snow accumulation in parts of the city.

The National Weather Service is currently predicting a 100 percent chance for more snow into the evening hours, with snowfall expected to stop around midnight.

City crews continue making rounds on area streets in an attempt to keep them clear and drivable.

Motorists are urged to stay off the roads if possible.

4:35 p.m. update

The latest information from the city indicates that 23rd Street is practically a parking lot in both directions from Iowa Street to Massachusetts Street.

Also, 15th Street and Sixth Street are reported to be slow going.

Drivers are urged to stay home and consider alternate travel routes if possible.

3:47 p.m. update

Here’s a road conditions update from the city:

As of now, all roads in Lawrence, including residential, have been treated with sand and/or salt. City crews are currently focusing on re-treating priority one and two roads and will focus on residential streets once most of the snow has fallen.

By using the snow plow map as a reference, motorists can plan their routes ahead of time and use roads that are target ed for continuous treatment.

The City of Lawrence Street Maintenance crews will continue to work in 24-hour shifts until the snow event has subsided.

3:32 p.m. update

National Weather Service reports indicate that snow will continue falling through Wednesday evening. Along the I-70 corridor, we can expect at least another 2-4 inches before the snow gradually comes to an end around midnight.

KDOT is now reporting that all highways in Douglas County are completely snowpacked, with the exception of I-70, which was “partly snowpacked” as of 3:25 p.m.

1:39 p.m. update

We’re already getting some cancellations and closings for schools and organizations in Douglas County. Be sure to keep checking our list to stay up to date on that information.

As far as roads are concerned, KDOT is reporting that all highways in Douglas County are “partly snowpacked/ice.” This includes:

  • Interstate 70
  • Kansas Highway 10
  • Kansas Highway 32
  • U.S. Highway 24
  • U.S. Highway 40
  • U.S. Highway 56
  • U.S. Highway 59

12:18 p.m. update

Snow has begun to fall in northeast Kansas, and it’s already affecting road conditions. KDOT spokeswoman Kimberly Qualls said she is getting reports of slick road conditions from Lawrence to Manhattan.

“New snow is always slick for drivers,” Qualls said. “Once the roads get snowpacked, drivers tend to slow down. But until then there are a lot of slide-offs and accidents.”

Qualls reminds drivers to take it slow, even if there just a few flakes, and drive for the road conditions.

Crews are already out treating roads from Topeka to Manhattan, and have pre-treated highways — especially bridges — in northeast Kansas.

Once snow begins to accumulate, Qualls said crews will begin plowing highways and won’t stop until the roads are clear.

8:19 a.m. update

Here's the latest snowfall estimates for northeast Kansas from the National Weather Service office in Topeka. The weather service is calling for a wide range of northeast Kansas, including Lawrence, to see from 5

The overnight update from the National Weather Service is out and there’s no relief in sight.

The forecast has Lawrence squarely in the 5-8″ range for snowfall between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

Snow is expected to begin falling around lunch time, but the heaviest snow, with accumulation as fast as 1″ per hour, is expected between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. tonight. The snow isn’t forecast to stop until Thursday morning, meaning snow days are a definite possibility.

Check back to LJWorld.com all day for any closings and cancellations, as well as the latest updates from the National Weather Service and from around Lawrence as the storm develops.

Plus, once the snow falls, grab your camera and send us a photo. You can also e-mail them to editor@ljworld.com.

9:55 p.m. update

The National Weather Service in Topeka has now issued a winter storm warning for Douglas and surrounding counties. The warning will go into effect about 9 a.m. Wednesday and will remain in effect through 6 a.m. Thursday.

The warning was issued because of the likelihood for heavy snow. The latest totals predict anywhere from 5-8″ of snow in the Lawrence area, with higher amounts expected in areas north of Douglas County.

It is highly likely that the greatest snowfall will happen during evening rush hours. Commuters are urged to use caution while on the roads.

The winter storm warning replaces the winter storm watch, which is no longer in effect.

The warning covers the Kansas City metro area, plus counties northeast of a line from roughly Manhattan to Ottawa.

9:30 p.m. update

In preparation for the impending winter storm, Lawrence Street Maintenance crews will begin pre-treating area roads with a mixture of sand and salt starting in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday.

According to a media release from city communications manager Megan Gilliland, crews will begin working 24-hour shifts about 4 a.m. Wednesday and will continue operations until the storm has passed. The city encourages drivers to slow down and be mindful of other vehicles.

The National Weather Service now estimates one to two inches of snow will fall during the day Wednesday with another three to seven expected to fall during the evening hours.

5:30 p.m. update

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Douglas County effective Wednesday morning through late Wednesday night.

A potent, fast-moving storm will bring moderate to heavy snowfall to multiple counties in northeast Kansas.

Counties under the winter storm watch include:

  • Brown
  • Douglas
  • Jackson
  • Jefferson
  • Marshall
  • Nemaha
  • Pottawatomie
  • Shawnee
  • Washington

Total snow and ice accumulations by Thursday morning could be 5-8 inches, with snow possibly falling at a rate of one inch per hour late Wednesday. Peak snowfall rates will occur between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m.

This storm will likely make travel hazardous, particularly in the evening.

But just because the forecast calls for snow beginning Wednesday afternoon doesn’t mean students should start planning for an unusually early end to the school day.

In her 13 years as the Lawrence school district’s director of communications, Julie Boyle can’t recall a single instance of classes being called off early because of snow, ice or any other inclement weather.

“We try to avoid unexpected early dismissals,” said Boyle, whose recorded voice notifies families about school closings. “We know that creates complications for parents.”

Besides, all but two of the district’s schools will be closing 90 minutes early. The district’s elementaries and junior highs close dismiss early every Wednesday, giving teachers time for collaboration.

“If it starts snowing late in the afternoon, our kids may already be home,” Boyle said.

Then again, Boyle said, parents may choose to pick up their children early if weather conditions worsen while school remains in session. Just be sure to call ahead to inform the school’s staff.

Check back with LJWorld.com for updates.