Winter is coming. Is Kansas ready for snowy weather and lower temperatures?

Winter is coming to Kansas.

While the first snowfall of the year Monday night was perhaps a shock to the system for many, it is a reminder that lower temperatures and snowy conditions are set to be the rule, rather than the exception, in the months ahead.

Local and state officials insist they are ready to cope with inclement weather and energy companies say they are also preparing for the changing season.

Like states across the country, however, the Kansas Department of Transportation warned motorists earlier this month that the agency had 24% fewer snowplow drivers than if it were fully staffed.

KDOT did note, however, that preparations have been underway since September to ensure employees had enough sand and salt and that maintenance work on equipment had been completed.

"Our maintenance crews always do their best to serve the public as they work 12-hour shifts in their efforts to clear the highways,” Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz said in a statement. “But motorists can help by checking on road conditions and weather forecasts in advance and possibly delaying travel plans. It’s important to plan ahead, stay informed and travel safe.”

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This problem is not limited to KDOT, with municipalities across the state feeling the pain.

"Every city is dealing with it," said Spencer Duncan, a Topeka City Council member and lobbyist for the Kansas League of Municipalities. "It doesn't matter if you're the small little town that's always had those struggles to get people or the first-class cities of 25,000 or more. Everybody is struggling with it."

Some municipalities, such as Topeka, have seen an uptick in hiring, Duncan noted, but training those individuals in time might prove to be a struggle.

At the Shawnee County level, Public Works director Curt Niehaus said his department has been preparing equipment "for this very thing."

"We’ve been working on equipment, and we’ve got ample materials in place," Niehaus told the Shawnee County Commission on Monday ahead of expected snowfall. "If we get weather that will make the roads a little less safe, we will get material out there. Hopefully, everyone will be able to get to work and other places safely."

Energy companies ready for winter weather in Kansas, amid national uncertainty

Despite a mild winter forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration nationally, some regional grids across the country are bracing for a potential winter impact on power generation.

“It’s telling that as we sit here in 2022, we’re all breathing a sigh of relief, that there’s just a forecast for a mild winter,” Willie Phillips, a commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said earlier this month. “Just because there’s a forecast doesn’t mean there won’t be extreme weather.”

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The Southwest Power Pool, the regional grid that includes Kansas, appears better positioned than most to weather the storm and has actually seen its reliability increase since February 2021, when the state was blasted by a week of historically cold temperatures. An SPP report from last week indicated the region would have sufficient power generating capacity to meet demand this winter.

Gina Penzig, a spokesperson for Evergy, the largest utility in northeast Kansas, said the company was confident in the grid's reliability but did encourage customers to make a plan in the event snow and ice causes outages and ensure they have supplies ready for such an event.

"The power grid that serves Evergy customers is ready to meet winter conditions," Penzig said in an email. "Our power plants are available and the grid is running well."

Consumers could see 28% rise in natural gas bills, 10% in electricity rates

A variety of factors, however, including the war in Ukraine, could push gas prices up and mean higher bills for customers. The U.S. Energy Information Agency projected natural gas bills would rise by 28% for consumers, with electricity rates set to go up 10%.

"In the coming months, customers will notice an increase in their natural gas bills due to various market factors that have contributed to a rise in the price of natural gas," Kansas Gas Service spokesperson Dawn Tripp said in an email. "While we can’t speculate what the cost of gas will be this winter, we anticipate that prices will likely remain high."

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Despite the higher prices, Tripp said the company does not mark up the gas costs but rather they are "passed through to the customer at our cost, and we continuously work to secure the lowest gas prices for our customers."

KGS, the largest gas provider in the state, will also soon begin assessing a monthly surcharge to help pay off over $300 million in extraordinary costs incurred during the 2021 cold snap. Starting in December, consumers will pay $5.64 per month initially, with the surcharge dropping to $5.11 per month after six months.

Customers who are having trouble paying their gas bill are encouraged to reach out to the company. Consumers also are being asked to consider air sealing their house, changing the direction of their ceiling fans to encourage better air flow and keep their homes at a slightly cooler temperature in order to conserve energy.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Are KDOT, energy companies ready for snow, cold weather in Kansas?