OTTAWA — A powerful winter storm sweeping from the Rockies into the plains could dump at least five inches of snow and a half-inch of sleet on east central Kansas Thursday. The storm will move in tonight but the prediction for the heaviest part for the snow have been pushed back to mid-morning Thursday, Brian Barjenbruch, weather service forecaster at Topeka, said. During the heaviest part of the storm, snow could fall two inches an hour, and combined with east winds of up 30 miles an hour, could pose dangerous conditions for driving, he said. “It looks like it could be messy in your area,” Barjenbruch said. At the northern end of Franklin County, snow could reach about 10 inches and diminish to the southern edge of Anderson County to about five inches, he said. However, as snow amounts decrease, there will be more sleet, perhaps up to a half-inch, he said. He said there could be some amounts of ice and freezing rain on the southern edge of Anderson County. He said there were indications that the storm was slowing down, which could increase the amount snowfall. Local emergency officials said if possible, people should stay home. Residents in more rural areas should also prepare to be stuck in their homes for a couple of days, they said. Some area schools and organizations were starting to cancel classes or events scheduled for Thursday.
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 4 p.m.
