(Jan. 8 at 10:27am Update): All residential streets in Wamego have been cleared as of this morning. Crews still out monitoring for hazards. City officials are encouraging anyone who feels like their roads may have been missed to should reach out to City Hall at 785-456-9119.
(Jan. 8 at 5:31am Update): City of Manhattan crews are continuing their clean-up efforts on Wednesday. Roughly 40% of residential areas in town have been plowed. Crews are still working in the Amherst/Miller Park and Grand Mere/Colbert Hills areas, but they are both about 75% completed. The following City facilities plan to reopen to the public on Wednesday, January 8):
• City Hall (Customer Service desk)
• Flint Hills Discovery Center
• Anthony and Eisenhower Recreation Centers
• Douglass Activity Center
• Risk Reduction (Manhattan Fire Department HQ Fire Station)
(Jan. 7 at 10:39am Update): City of Wamego crews have announced they’ve cleaned off routes they consider are top priority. With those routes now cleared, city staff are working today to address alleys near the ongoing street project. Crews will focus on streets not considered a priority this evening.
(Jan. 7 at 10:29am Update): City of Manhattan crews are continuing their clean-up efforts on Tuesday. The clearing of all primary arterials and snow emergency routes was largely completed overnight, although crews continue to work in the Amherst/Miller Parkway area. Both the Amherst and Colbert Hills areas had some of the highest snow drifting accumulation their crews have ever experienced. Street crews will continue to perform snow removal operations until all roads are safe and passable, having shifted into residential areas overnight into this morning. Parks crews anticipate they will finish clearing all City facilities by the end of today. Trails and snow piles in parking lots will not be cleared until sometime next week.
(Jan. 7 at 5:39am Update): The Kansas Department of Transportation reopened westbound and eastbound I-70 to through traffic in both directions from Salina to the east Geary County line on Monday.
(Jan. 6 at 7:50pm Update): City of Manhattan officials anticipate that 100% of residential roads will be completed by Thursday. All city buildings are closed on Tuesday as is the same for all county buildings. Manhattan is anticipating an opening of City Hall by 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Riley County District Court will have a Zoom session for a previous hearing but all other previously-scheduled hearings have been canceled.
(Jan. 6 at 10:50am Update): Pottawatomie County crews are working on clearing county roads today. That work will begin on primary roads, then secondary roads, then tertiary roads. It is unknown how long this will take due to the amount of snow and the height of drifts.
(Jan. 6 at 10:35am Update): City of Manhattan officials say they’re continuing work trying to clear off primary routes as well. They say the Amherst area could take the rest of the day to fully clear but most of the roads were plowed earlier today.
(Jan. 6 at 10:33am Update): Riley County officials say that Emergency Management is still doing damage assessments on their vehicles. They remind those to stay home and stay off roads and crews are continuing to plow the roads at this time.
(Jan. 6 at 9:39am Update): In a social media post, RCPD says significant progress has been made with clearing major roadways, but there are still approximately 60 vehicles left stranded or abandoned that are obstructing snow removal efforts. RCPD says these vehicles risk the chance of being towed if they’re not moved. They do ask, if you’re safely able to move your vehicle, please do, but do not risk it if you feel unsafe.
(Jan. 6 at 8:47am Update): Snowfall estimates say that Wamego received 17.5 inches of snow, which is the third-highest on record for the city. Junction City had 16 inches and Manhattan had 14.8 inches, which is the second-most for a single day on record. The most snow in a single day all-time was 18 inches for Manhattan on February 27, 1900.
(Original story on Jan. 6 at 6:46am): Record snowfall hit the region on Sunday resulting in the closure of several businesses, schools and government offices on Monday due to poor conditions.
Inclement weather conditions began on Saturday with freezing rain falling throughout the day leading to slick conditions and also led to I-70 from Junction City into Manhattan being shut down in the middle of the day.
RCPD is reporting that two injury accidents occurred on Saturday with one happening on I-70 near the Manhattan exit as well as at the 2600 block of W 56th Street. There were also two injury accidents.
Then on Sunday, snowfall accumulated with what the NWS in Topeka is saying anywhere between 11-14 inches of snow fell during the day, which would be the third highest on record behind 17 inches in 1900 and 15 inches in 1993.
On Monday, several closures and cancellations have been issued due to the weather, which includes the closure of Pottawatomie County and Riley County government offices. A full list of closures can be found here.
This story will continue to be updated.
