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Storm creates whiteout conditions, shuts down Kellogg, Wichita area

BY BECCY TANNER

The Wichita Eagle

Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle

Jesse Ybarra tries to dig out his stuck car near Maple and Meridian on Saturday. A fierce winter storm blew through Wichita leaving strandard motorists like this all over the city.

One of the worst storms in recent memory slammed into Wichita today with drifting snow and whiteout conditions that slowed traffic on highways and side streets to a crawl and caused numerous accidents.

Most flights out of Wichita Mid-Continent Airport were delayed or canceled.

Police shut down all but one lane of Kellogg through downtown Wichita about 2:30 p.m. after numerous accidents clogged the highway.

Forecasters said the snow would accumulate up to 7 inches in Wichita. The storm cleared about 4:30 p.m.

"There is absolutely no reason to be out here unless you are a police officer," said Sgt. Jason Gill with the Sedgwick County sheriff's office. "Roads are impassable at best."

Chris Carrier, Wichita public works manager, said street crews struggled Saturday with the snow.

"We've got every piece of equipment on the streets. We've got, road graders, snow plows," Carrier said. "We can't keep up with this."

Carrier said crews were most hampered by vehicles stuck in the snow.

"It's been a losing battle. If people would just stay home and let us do our job. But when the plow goes down the street and there is a vehicle stuck in the street, we have nowhere to go," Carrier said. "It's really dangerous."

The storm caused at least one fatality in a multiple-vehicle accident in Wabaunsee County, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol dispatcher.

Interstate 70 was closed in both directions between the K-177 exit south of Manhattan and the K-4 exit at Auburn Road near Topeka due to road conditions and multiple traffic accidents.

Other road closings included U.S. 50 from the K-96 junction at Hutchinson and the Reno-Harvey county line west of Burrton.

Travel on the Kansas Turnpike was discouraged. Authorities said that although the roadway was open, there are temporary lane restrictions due to vehicle accidents the entire length of the roadway.

The worst areas are Emporia south to Wichita and on to the Oklahoma border.

The Derby Police Department closed Rock Road from 71st Street to 63rd Street.

"The streets are extremely slick," said Wichita police Sgt. Steve Yarberry. "The wind chill is very cold, and if you're stranded for any length of time, it is dangerous."

With more than 3,000 passengers expected to arrive Saturday because of the Christmas holiday, Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport experienced several flight cancellations and delays Saturday, said Valerie Wise, air service and business development manager for the Wichita Airport Authority.

American, Allegiant, AirTran and Northwest canceled all flights after 3:30 p.m.

U.S. Airways, Frontier, United and Delta all experienced delays and cancellations.

"It's best to call your airline's toll free number to see about arrivals and departures," Wise said.

With fewer passengers expected Sunday, Wise said, passengers whose flights were canceled Saturday should still be able to arrive in Wichita for the holiday.

Drivers who ventured out encountered miserable conditions that froze windshield wipers and covered windows. At many intersections across Wichita on Saturday afternoon, motorists stopped to help fellow drivers whose cars became stuck at a light. Many drivers also got out at stoplights to break ice off their windshield wipers.

"The wind is making it terrible," said Leon Wasinger, forecaster with the National Weather Service. "It's about as bad as it can get.

"It was like a western Kansas snow," he said. "The wind was blowing so hard that everything was coming in sideways. Snow on the ground was blowing up in the air."

The Emergency Accident Reporting Plan is in effect in Wichita. If no alcohol or injuries are involved, drivers can exchange insurance and contact information and file a report within 48 hours.

At least one family who would have been traveling I-35 Saturday postponed their family Christmas dinner.

"It's blizzard-like conditions here," said Karen Gogolski of Osage City, which was reporting 3 inches of snow by noon. "We were to be in Kansas City at 12:30 but our family was sorely disappointed. I told them I would make homemade macaroni and cheese instead."