Local schools are closed Thursday; here’s a snow day reading list from The Lawrence Times

Article last updated at 2:13 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17

More winter weather is on the way to Lawrence. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you need to know (we’ll add closures and cancellations as we receive them), and a list of staff picks to read while it’s too cold to play.

School’s out: The Lawrence, Eudora and Baldwin City school districts have called snow days looking ahead to expected bad winter weather on Thursday. The University of Kansas has also canceled classes at the Lawrence, Edwards and Leavenworth campuses.

Forecast: The National Weather Service Wednesday night was predicting rain, freezing rain and sleet before 4 a.m. Thursday, then snow after 5 a.m. But during the day Thursday, snow could be heavy at times and there could be several inches of snow accumulation, according to the NWS. On Friday, sunny skies are expected to return.

Weather updates: Keep up with the latest from the National Weather Service at this link. The NWS is also on Twitter and Facebook. Local information is also available via Douglas County Emergency Management on Twitter and Facebook.

Winter shelter: The Lawrence Winter Shelter at the Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., was set to open for guests Wednesday night. According to a post on the shelter’s Facebook page, the building will be open for warming all day, and check-in for the night will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Road conditions: The City of Lawrence has a map online to see where snow plows are (if they are in use) and to get a look at snapshots from traffic cameras at this link.

LPRD programming: In addition, Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department morning programming is canceled all day Thursday. (Updated information) All facilities will be closed for the day, also. Keep an eye on this link for updates.

Trash pickup delayed: The city has suspended trash and recycling pickup for Thursday. Regular Thursday routes will resume Friday, and Friday routes will be completed on Saturday.

Other closures: Lawrence Public Library; City of Lawrence offices closed at noon Thursday; Lawrence Transit routes are not running Thursday; Historic Resources Commission meeting canceled

Lawrence Times snow day reading list:

For those who have to be out in the bad weather, we hope you stay safe and warm.

For those who can take some time to relax and read: Get caught up on some Lawrence Times staff picks. These are just a few of the articles we enjoyed reading from our own colleagues (we narrowed it down to 10 links!). Some are more recent than others, but they’re all Lawrence-focused.

Curl up with a virtual Lawrence Times book:

Who killed Nick Rice? The series

Read about some Lawrence folks who are making a difference:

Social worker, coach weaves life experiences into empowerment lessons for Lawrence youth

Lawrence women establish support group for girls with ADHD

Lawrence’s Indigenous Community Center launches new food sovereignty farm

JD Woods caps off his college football career, commits to NFL dreams

‘Liberate LFK’: Student documentary highlights LGBTQ+ activism at KU through the years

Sunset Hill librarian reflects on evolution of ‘dream job’ as budget cuts threaten its future

For crime & courts buffs:

For artists and art enthusiasts:

Art Tougeau back on the street this spring in Lawrence; grants available to offset costs of creating new entries

ICYMI: Whose picks are these? Meet the folks behind the bylines.