Arctic front to chill Martin Luther King Day; another inch of snow likely

Lawrence and Douglas County residents can expect to wake to an inch of additional snow on Martin Luther King Day and wind-whipped, frigid temperatures.

Chad Omitt, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka, said about two inches of snow fell Sunday morning on Lawrence and most of northeast Kansas. He forecast another inch of snow would fall late Sunday evening and early Monday morning.

The second snowfall would be associated with an arctic cold front that will leave bitter cold in its wake for Martin Luther King Day and Tuesday, Omitt said. The high for the holiday will be in the mid-teens but winds of about 15 mph would make it feel like 0 or 15 below, he said.

“Unlike today (Sunday) where it warmed up a bit during the afternoon, it’s going to get colder throughout the day Monday,” he said. “Temperatures will fall overnight down to or below 0 and with the wind chills it will fell like 15 to 20 below. We will see much colder weather Monday, Monday night and into Tuesday.”

It would be a short-lived arctic blast, Omitt said. Temperatures will start to moderate Wednesday when the afternoon highs will be in the upper-20s, Omitt said. Highs Thursday and Friday will be near or in the 40s, he said.

City of Lawrence, Douglas County and state crews were working to treat and clear streets and roads Sunday.