UPDATE from Midwest energy as of 2 p.m. via Facebook
We currently have just over 12,000 customers without power, which about 25% of our total customer base. Fortunately, winds have abated and crews are now able to get out and make repairs as needed.
Warmer temps are allowing ice to melt off of the wires. The downside: Many roads, especially outside of town, remain challenging but we're just now getting out to inspect the more rural areas.
More than half those out now are in the City of Hays; crews are out right now, replacing fuses and repairing burned-down lines, in an effort to get folks back on by evening.
Great Bend crews are in the Galatia-Susank area, and Lyons crews east of Ellinwood, making repairs.
Out west, linemen are north and south of Brewster, and south of Oakley, identifying and fixing.
Customers in more rural circuits could be down for longer; we'll know more when we update tonight at 5 pm. Until then, stay in if you can, and thank you for your patience!
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By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
As a blizzard pounds northwest Kansas with wind gusts of up to 70 mph, more than 32,000 Kansans are without electrical power according to poweroutage.us. as of 9: 15 a.m.
Counties with the highest number of outages include Ellis, Gove, Graham, Ness, Osborne, Rooks and Russell.
In Hays, approximately 4,600 Midwest Energy customers are without electricity, according to the Midwest Energy outage viewer. It includes a large area of west Hays.
Earlier this morning, Russell was experiencing a city-wide electrical outage. Three circuits remain down because of galloping power lines in the wind along with heavy snow. Crews are on scene.
All highways in northwest Kansas have been closed by the Kansas Department of Transportation because of blizzard conditions and low visibility.
I-70 has also been closed in both directions between Salina and the Colorado border.
All non-essential travel should be delayed until conditions improve. Motorists currently on the road are advised to seek shelter until the storm moves through.
For the latest updates on road closures and conditions, visit kandrive.gov, or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.