Post last updated at 3:01 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22:
There’s extreme cold and snow in the forecast for Lawrence. Here are some closures and service alterations, plus where you can find info on road conditions.
For those who need shelter, the Lawrence Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., is planned to be open 24/7 until 7 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27.
• KU: The University of Kansas campus will be closed Thursday for the wintry weather. “People are encouraged to remain off campus Thursday for their own safety and to allow snow removal crews to operate,” according to the KU Police Department. “For info about campus services visit individual department websites and social media.”
The KU basketball game against Harvard, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, is still scheduled as normal, according to KUPD.
• The Lawrence Public Library will be closed Thursday due to the dangerously cold wind chills. The library will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Friday.
• Lawrence Transit: Night Line service will stop at midnight instead of running until 6 a.m. on Thursday.
Also Thursday, “Fixed-route, paratransit, and Night Line service will be cancelled, with the exception of life sustaining T Lift trips such as dialysis,” according to a city news release. “First Transit will be reaching out to T Lift and Night Line riders with scheduled trips to communicate about these plans.”
Lawrence Transit tentatively plans to restart all services at noon Friday (Dec. 23), but the call will be made and announced around 10 a.m. Friday.
More information is available at lawrencetransit.org or by calling 785-864-4644. Riders can find out if there are impacts to bus service by following Lawrence Transit on Facebook, @LawrenceTransit, on Twitter, @TransitLawrence, or through announcements on the My Bus Lawrence app, available at lawrencetransit.org/mobile-tools.
• Yard waste: The city will not collect yard waste on Thursday or Friday in order for crews to focus on core solid waste operations, according to a news release from the city. “Winter weather impacts on City staff and equipment may lead to (additional) delays in trash collection and recycling pick-up. If other service delays arise, we will send additional notifications as to when routes and collection will resume.”
• Senior Resource Center for Douglas County and Senior Wheels will be closed on Thursday; Friday is still to be determined.
• Parks & Rec (updated): Lawrence Parks and Recreation programming, activities and rentals for Thursday are canceled, according to a city news release. The city recommends checking Rainoutline.com for other potential cancellations.
Parks & Rec facilities closed early Thursday afternoon but plan to reopen for holiday hours on Friday, except for the Indoor Aquatic Center, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for lap swimming only. See the holiday hours at this link.
• Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health will be closed Thursday.
• Heartland Community Health Center, River City Pharmacy and Panda Pediatrics will be closed Thursday. “Patients are encouraged to use their Patient Portal to send messages to our staff,” according to an email from Heartland spokesperson Ash Nadeau. Heartland’s on-call service will be available to answer medical questions. For Heartland Community Health Center, call 785-841-7297 and follow the recorded instructions for assistance. On call services are also available for Panda Pediatrics at 785-842-4477.
• Lawrence Lights: The holiday light drive-thru fundraiser will be closed Thursday for the extreme cold, but will reopen from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly Friday through Wednesday, Dec. 28.
Lawrence Public Schools buildings were already slated to be closed for winter break.
We’ll update this post when possible if and when more closures are announced.
Keep up with the latest weather info 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.
If you have to be on the road
The National Weather Service and city discourage travel during dangerous road conditions. Many crashes had already been reported in Kansas as freezing drizzle began Wednesday afternoon, according to the NWS.
City of Lawrence crews were prepping bridges and elevated surfaces Wednesday, according to a news release.
“The 2022 Snow and Ice Control Plan does not intend that City crews remove all snow and ice accumulations from all City streets,” according to a Wednesday news release. “When conditions are favorable, we will de-ice streets to the bare pavement but this will not be feasible during most winter weather events. We recommend staying home unless travel is essential. Additionally, we ask that vehicles be moved off roads/streets where possible to aid in our crew’s snow response.”
The city has more snow and road information at this link.
Here’s the city’s map of snow plows and road conditions:
For those who need to travel beyond Lawrence, the KanDrive map at this link shows highway conditions statewide. Do not use cruise control, the NWS reminds.
Road conditions around the county Thursday morning were snow-packed, according to a tweet from Douglas County.
And the westbound lanes of Kansas Highway 10 were closed near milepost 13 while the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office worked an incident:
Lawrence property owners are responsible for removing ice and snow from sidewalks adjacent to their properties within 48 hours after the ice forms or snowfall ends.
“Community members who are physically unable to keep their sidewalks clear during snow events should visit our website for more information on the Safe Winter Walkways Program,” according to the City of Lawrence.
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