The National Weather Service's Topeka office said high winds and damaging hail caused Topeka's wind chill index to drop to minus 28 degrees at 11 p.m. Saturday.
Dangerous wind chills are expected to continue through Tuesday morning in north-central and northeastern Kansas, the office said in a graphic linked to its Topeka office's website.
Meanwhile, the weather played a role in prompting the Topeka city government Sunday morning to issue a “precautionary boil water advisory.”
“City of Topeka officials issued the warning as a precaution after discovering residual chlorine levels at the water treatment plant that did not meet the minimum standards required by regulations,” said Taylor Pogue, the city's interim joint director of communications. “Low water levels and extreme weather have put stress on the city's water system and out-of-range chemical doses may put the system at risk of bacterial contamination.”
What should people do in response to the boil water advice?
In its warning about boiling water, the city asked residents to take the following precautions.
• Use bottled water or boil tap water for one minute before drinking it or using it to prepare food.
• Water used for bathing does not need to be boiled, but adults should monitor bathing children to make sure they do not swallow water. People with cuts or severe rashes may want to consult a doctor before bathing.
• If your tap water looks dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it runs clear.
• Discard the ice cubes. Do not use ice from home automatic ice makers.
• Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersing them for at least one minute in clean tap water containing one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
• For answers to consumer questions, email Topeka City Government at citycommunications@topeka.org or call the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 785-296-5514.
• Restaurants and other food establishments with questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can email the Food and Residential Safety Program at kda.fsl@ks.gov or call it at 785-564-6767.
Temperatures in Topeka dropped to minus 6 degrees
Saturday evening's Topeka wind chill index of 28 degrees below zero fell just short of the wind chill index of 29 degrees below zero recorded in December 2022 during what the National Weather Service described as a “once-in-a-generation” storm.
Late Saturday, Topeka's temperature dropped to minus 6 degrees. The temperature remained at that level Sunday morning, with a wind chill index of 25 below zero, the weather service's Topeka office said.
The low temperature on Saturday in Topeka was -6 degrees below zero. This is lower than the lowest record level recorded in the capital on January 13, which was 15 degrees below zero recorded in 1916.
Arrowhead Stadium set a record temperature for a game
The temperature at Saturday night's NFL playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins was 4 below zero, the fourth-lowest temperature on record for an NFL game. The record is -13, which was set in 1967 during the NFL championship game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field.
The Chiefs came away with a 26-7 win in Saturday's game. The mercury reading that evening broke the previous record for lowest temperature for a game at Arrowhead Stadium, which was one degree, set during a 1983 contest against Denver and tied during a 2016 game against Tennessee.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
