The new year in Lawrence started with a winter storm

Lawrence, KS – Sleet began falling in the Lawrence area about 3 a.m. and switched to snow about 7 a.m yesterday. According to the report, provided by the National Weather Service, the storm would bring about 0.20 inches of total moisture to Lawrence..

Lawrence motorists apparently handled the holiday snow storm well. The Douglas County emergency dispatch said there had been no accidents reported in the city as of 10 a.m. The storm was somewhat milder than forecast, with the Lawrence area receiving sleet on the storm’s leading edge instead of the icy rain that fell in the Kansas City area.

Northwest winds were also not as strong as forecast, with sustained winds of 10 to 15 mph and occasional gusts of 30 mph. Wind speeds are forecast to increase. Drifting should not be a problem because of the wet nature of the snow, however the winds were strong enough to cause visibility problems for motorists, she said.

According to the National Weather Service, the storm would bring about 0.20 inches of total moisture to Lawrence. Lawrence finished 2020 with about 6 inches less than its 38.55 inches of average annual rainfall. Most of that shortfall occurred in the last four months of the year, she said.

Saturday will be cold with highs in the 30s before a warming trend starts Sunday with sunshine and highs in the upper 30s and then 40s on Monday. Highs could reach the lower 50s near the end of next week, she said.