By Jennifer Stultz
Tri-County Tribune Editor
jstultz@cherryroad.com

The City of Pratt and most of the Tri-County Tribune coverage area continues to recover from arctic cold temperatures and additional snowfall that fell in the area on Monday, January 20. Many evening activities were canceled due to wind chill factors plummeting to -13 and -17 below zero.

Some schools opted for late start times on Tuesday, January 21 to allow for safer travel conditions in getting students to school. Temperatures are expected to rise as the week progresses, above the single and double digits that were prevalent earlier in the week.

According to Meteorologist Wesley Hovorka, record low temperatures were recorded at three official climate sites during the past cold spell.

“Medicine Lodge set a record low of -10 degrees for temperature on Tuesday, January 21 and Russell tied an old record of -9 degrees,” Hovorka said.

The old record for Medicine Lodge was -3 degrees, set in 1935. There are no official climate recording sites closer to the Tri-County Tribune coverage area than those places mentioned above.

Hovorka said the cold temperatures this week will give way to warmer temperatures early next week.

“Expect dry conditions through Tuesday, but we will be keeping an eye on a 20% chance of rain across portions of southwest Kansas midweek,” he said.