Blowing snow and poor visibility, including some whiteout conditions, have forced Kansas transportation officials to close a number of highways in northwestern Kansas.

KDOT reports that in the Kansas City, Kansas metropolitan area, including Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte counties, roads are slushy.

Elsewhere in the northeast Kansas region, roads are reported “completely snowpacked and icy.”  That includes Atchison, Doniphan, Brown and Nemaha counties.

Officials urge you to plan ahead. KDOT offers a Web site at www.kandrive.org that includes updated travel and weather information, plus links to road conditions in neighboring states.

Here is the list of closures effective at 3:10 a.m. Thursday. Continuing winter weather conditions could force additional closures.

I-70 lanes  was closed at Oakley but was reopened at 1:30 a.m.

*U.S. 36 from Phillipsburg to the Colorado State Line
*U.S. 183 from the I-70 Junction to the Nebraska State Line
*K-383 from the U.S. 183 Junction to the Sheridan/Thomas County Line
*U.S. 83 from the Nebraska State Line to the U.S. 24 Junction East of Colby
*U.S. 24 from I-70 to the U.S. 83 Junction
*K-25 from Colby to the Nebraska State Line
*U.S. 40 from Sharon Springs to the Colorado State Line
*K-27 from Goodland to the Nebraska State Line
*K-161 from the U.S. 36 Junction to the Nebraska State Line