photo by: National Weather Service in Topeka

Forecast for Friday, Jan. 15, 2021.

Visibility could be reduced to around a quarter of a mile in places across northeast Kansas Friday, as snow falls amid sustained strong winds.

The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued separate wind and winter weather advisories, both in effect for Douglas County until 6 p.m. Friday.

The Lawrence area is expected to see northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph throughout the day Friday, with gusts to around 55 mph. Patchy blowing snow could lead to snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches, the weather service predicts. The chance for snow will drop significantly in the evening, and winds are expected to taper off slightly, though gusts could still reach 40 mph.

Higher snow amounts may be possible farther east, including in the Kansas City area, which the weather service predicts may see up to 3 inches of snow with the storm.

Temperatures in the Lawrence area should stay in the low 30s during the day Friday before dropping to the mid 20s overnight. Saturday should be mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 30s and northwest winds of 5 to 15 mph.