Round three of a winter storm — an arctic chill — sent temperatures plunging into the single digits this morning, as Lawrence continues to chip away at the ice and snow that glazed over the city since Tuesday.

The first two rounds of the storm — freezing rain, followed by sleet and snow — took a toll, downing many tree limbs, knocking out power to hundreds of homes, making travel slow and slippery and leading many schools to close.

Today’s closings Latest forecast

As of 11 a.m., about 290 Westar Energy customers in the Lawrence area were without electric power.

Gina Penzig, a Westar spokeswoman, said crews from St. Louis and Omaha have been called in to assist. total of 16 Westar crews are working in Lawrence to restore power.

As many as 1,200 homes in Lawrence had lost power because of ice-laden tree limbs that had fallen on power lines or power lines themselves that had become coated in ice and snapped.

The ice and snow has stopped, leaving behind about 1 to 2 inches of ice, sleet and snow in the Lawrence area. However, the cold weather moved in overnight, bringing in sub-zero wind chills, Schack said.

“Right here it feels like a negative 9 as you walk out,” Jennifer Schack, 6News meteorologist, said about 7:30 a.m. “The arctic chill will continue.”

Schack said conditions will start to improve, as temperatures climb into the 20s Friday, then into the 40s Saturday and the 50s by Sunday afternoon.

At 8 a.m. today, the temperature was 6 degrees, with a 12-mph west to northwest wind making it feel like minus 8.

Schack said today’s skies would be sunny, but the temperature would climb to only 13 by noon and top out today at 18 degrees. A blustery northwest wind from 8-15 mph will put windchills in the single digits. The average high for this date is 39.

“This will be the coldest morning (of the week). It does get better over the next few days,” Schack said.

Overnight, the temperature will drop to 10 by early Friday morning. Friday’s high will climb to 29.

Saturda’s morning low will be 10, with the high reaching 41 by Saturday afternoon, Schack said.

Sunday’s low will be 28, with the high climbing to 52 by Sunday afternoon.