Many in Pratt county can't believe what a difference a day can make.

Saturday morning the county was shut down. They were buried beneath 28 inches of snow. The roads were impassable. Along with 62 other Kansas counties, Pratt was in Governor Kathleen Sebelius Emergency Disaster declaration.

"We were begging for disaster relief," said Pratt County Sheriff, Vernon Chinn. "We had people stranded along roadways and in ditches we couldn't get to. Anything short of a National Guard Humvee would get stuck... This situation was life or death," said Chinn.

Saturday afternoon, the cavalry came into Pratt. The National Guard helped to rescue stranded motorists and plow streets.

"I've worked with the National Guard a number of times," said Chinn. "It's always a wonderful sight when they come rolling in."

Pratt county emergency crews also worked around the clock to do everything possible to help those in need.

County employee, Robert Torres, said he knew the sidewalks needed shoveled and the roadways plowed. Since driving was not an option, Torres says he walked through the thigh high snow and got his job done.

The biggest contributor to the quick clean up, residents say, are the warmer temperatures.

"Some of the drifts have gone down a foot or two already," said Chinn. "The weather's doing most of the cleanup for us," he said.

Chinn said the county was well prepared for this blast mother nature dropped. Looking back he just wishes people would have respected the warnings and barricades across the roads and stayed home.

"They were closed for a reason... they weren't safe," said Chinn. "People kept ignoring the command, went down the roads anyway, and then got stuck. That just made the situation even worse for us," he said.

Chinn said there;s good in everything. 28 inches of snow means the burn ban is canceled.