TOPEKA – Due to safety concerns regarding winter weather conditions resulting from the approaching winter storm, Governor Laura Kelly has issued a Declaration of Inclement Weather for Shawnee County, ordering state office buildings in Shawnee County to be closed for state employees on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Grace Hoge with the governor’s office said the declaration takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, and lasts through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18. A reassessment of weather conditions will be made on Tuesday to determine if the declaration will be extended further.
The National Weather Service forecast plummeting temperatures down to 7 degrees Monday night, with a high Tuesday of 6 degrees and a low of -1. A winter storm warning was in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, with a low of -4 on Wednesday and a high of 6. Thursday’s forecast was for sun and a high of 12, a low of 0, with warming expected Friday to 21, low of 14, 37/27 for Saturday and highs in the 50s Sunday and Monday. One-to-three inches of snow was forecast in the Kansas City area Tuesday. Wichita forecast as much as 4-8 inches of snow Tuesday night; Dodge City expected 1-2 inches of accumulation but with the same bitter cold as throughout the state.
“Due to the potential for hazardous road conditions and dangerously cold temperatures, we are closing state office buildings in Shawnee County on Tuesday,” Governor Kelly said. “As I have done with past storms, I urge all Kansans to exercise increased caution when driving and allow road crews and emergency personnel enough space to perform their duties safely.”
Hoge said the declaration applies to all non-essential state employees in the executive branch agencies under the governor’s jurisdiction who work in Shawnee County. Appointing authorities in offices located outside Shawnee County have the option to declare Inclement Weather for those counties.
During the period of Inclement Weather, essential state employees are required to report to work as normal. Benefits-eligible non-essential employees should record Inclement Weather Leave during the period of Inclement Weather. Remote work is not being required.
For continuously updated road information, go to www.KanDrive.gov and click on the road condition map. Other construction information, camera views, weather websites and travel details are also available. You can also call 511 – for Kansas road condition information from anywhere in the U.S., call 1-866-511-KDOT (5368).
Dane Hicks is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA. He is the author of novels "The Skinning Tree" and "A Whisper For Help." As publisher of the Anderson County Review in Garnett, KS., he is a recipient of the Kansas Press Association's Boyd Community Service Award as well as more than 60 awards for excellence in news, editorial and photography.
