The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Geary County starting at noon on Thanksgiving Day until 6 am on Friday.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE
THURSDAY NIGHT.

THE WATCH AREA INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-
POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…BELLEVILLE…WASHINGTON…MARYSVILLE…
SENECA…HIAWATHA…CONCORDIA…CLAY CENTER…MANHATTAN…
WAMEGO…HOLTON…OSKALOOSA…MINNEAPOLIS…ABILENE…
JUNCTION CITY…COUNCIL GROVE…ALMA…TOPEKA

* TIMING…FREEZING RAIN IS CURRENTLY FORECAST TO BEGIN IN NORTH
CENTRAL KANSAS THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MAINLY ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF
CLAY CENTER. A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL
GRADUALLY SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA, EXTENDING
ROUGHLY TO MANHATTAN BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND EXTENDING TOWARD
EMPORIA TO TOPEKA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO FRIDAY
MORNING. THIS WINTRY MIX MAY CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY AND COULD
EVEN EXTEND INTO SATURDAY.

* ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO A QUARTER
INCH, PRIMARILY NORTH AND WEST OF A HIAWATHA TO EMPORIA LINE
WITH LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE SOUTHEAST. LITTLE TO NO SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE ANTICIPATED.

* OTHER IMPACTS…ACCUMULATION OF ICE ON ROADWAYS COULD MAKE FOR
SLICK TRAVEL OVER THE HOLIDAY…REMEMBER THAT BRIDGES AND
OVERPASSES OFTEN BECOME SLICK BEFORE MAIN ROADWAYS. ICE MAY ALSO
ACCUMULATE ON POWER LINES AND COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED POWER
OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.