The City of Manhattan announced that most City-operated buildings are closed Wednesday, February 12 due to snow and winter weather conditions.
This includes City Hall, Municipal Court, Risk Reduction, Flint Hills Discovery Center, and Sunset Zoo. However, the City’s three recreation centers (Anthony, Douglass, and Eisenhower) plan to open late at noon Wednesday and remain open until normal closing hours, as long as conditions permit safe opening. A Winter Storm Warning is expected to remain in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Heavy snow and gusty north winds are expected overnight Wednesday into the daytime hours, with total snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches. Winds gusting to as high as 20 to 25 mph will cause difficult visibility conditions and drifting snow.
Travel is expected to become very difficult. Blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. Snow drifts might make roads impassable. These hazardous conditions are expected to impact the Wednesday morning commute, as well.
Municipal Court will be closed Wednesday and any cases will be rescheduled to a future date. Payments may be made by deposit in the payment box outside the Courthouse or online.
For details about flight information out of Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK), please check the American Airlines website.
Essential operations staff, including street and utility crews, park and forestry crews, and the Manhattan Fire Department, will remain available to respond for snow removal efforts and emergencies.
Online Utility Payments
City services will still be available online and by telephone. Please visit cityofmhk.com to find contact information. In order to make utility bill payments during City Hall closures, dial (785) 587-2480 and choose option #1 to use the automated system.
Customers also can dial this system directly by calling (833) 277-8694, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Payments also can be made online at any time through the City’s online payment system, Paymentus. Customers may contact Paymentus Customer Care at [email protected] or by calling (800) 420-1663 for help during this closure or outside of business hours.
Winter Weather Response
The Public Works Department plans to start its 24-hour snow operation schedule by midnight tonight. Crews will work 24 hours, 12-hour shifts each, for the duration of this winter storm. They will begin de-icing operations as soon as the snow begins to cover the road surfaces. The City began pretreating roads on Monday.
Crews will continue to monitor streets and perform de-icing operations as long as there is precipitation falling and until all roads are safe and passable. The City will be treating and plowing major roadways first. Snowy conditions and low visibility are expected Wednesday. Please reduce speed and use extra caution if needing to travel Wednesday or Thursday.