A mix of snow and ice developed on streets and highways in the Wichita area early Thursday, and a number of accident were reported during the morning rush.  Many of the crashes were on the interstates and elevated highways.

Ben Nelson with Wichita Public Works said there were so many crashes on the highways that traffic was being diverted to city streets.  There were no reports of serious injuries from the accidents.

Nelson said crews were putting a salt and sand mix on the major streets as the snow began falling, but temperatures dropped into the low 20s as the snow began falling around 2 a.m.   He said the salt mix is less effective at melting snow in the colder temperatures.   The result was more snow and ice on the streets than the city has had from the previous snow storms this season.

Street conditions improved during the morning, but crews were still out to deal with icy spots.  The Emergency Accident Reporting Plan was put into effect for Wichita, but it was canceled just before 1 p.m. as street conditions improved.

Snowfall amounts have ranged from 1 to 3 inches across south central Kansas.

Nelson said the city is at 300 percent capacity for salt and sand supplies, and there’s no danger of running out of material for any future winter storms.