Kansas transportation officials are discouraging travel to western Kansas as a massive winter storm continues causing extreme travel problems.

The Kansas Department of Transportation says snow and high winds have forced many highways to close west of Salina. That has resulted in hotels filling up and tractor-trailers being stranded along highways.

As of Tuesday afternoon westbound Interstate 70 was closed from Salina to the Colorado border, while eastbound I-70 was closed from the Colorado state line to Hays.

The Transportation Department says several other highways in northwestern Kansas are closed, while highways in the southwest part of the state are snow-packed and icy.

KDOT district engineer Jeff Stewart says there is little to no visibility on parts of I-70 and things are even worse north of the interstate.