Snow falls in Kansas City area, traffic wrecks reported on highways with slick roads
Shortly after temperatures climbed above 0 degrees Wednesday afternoon, snow began falling across the Kansas City area and wrecks were reported on area highways.
The quick-moving band of snow began swinging through the area shortly after 12:30 p.m., and stopped after about three hours.
While accumulations were not expected to be much — between a dusting and an inch — the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill warned snow could make travel hazardous for the evening commute as roads become slick in some areas.
Some crashes were already being reported Wednesday afternoon.
Around 5:30 p.m., Kansas City police said “six to eight” vehicles were involved in a wreck in the northbound lanes of U.S. 169 on the Buck O’Neil (Broadway) Bridge. No injuries were reported.
Earlier, at about 1:45 p.m., a multiple-vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 35 at Interstate 670 near the west side of the downtown loop temporarily blocked the right lanes of the highway.
Another wreck was reported shortly before 2 p.m. on Kansas 5 in Wyandotte County.
Other crashes were reported during rush-hour traffic in Kansas City, temporarily slowing down traffic on eastbound Interstate 70 past Sterling Avenue and southbound Interstate 35 past 20th Street.
The falling snow came on a brutally cold day in the Kansas City area and across the Midwest.
An arctic blast sent temperatures tumbling below zero and created dangerously cold wind chills. Kansas City International Airport saw temperatures drop to -6 degrees at 7:35 a.m.
The coldest wind chill value at the airport was -23 degrees shortly before 4 a.m.
Many area school districts canceled classes Wednesday, and few have made the decision to cancel classes or start classes late on Thursday.
Temperatures overnight are expected to remain in the single digits in the Kansas City area. Wind chill values will be around -5 degrees by Thursday morning.
Temperatures, however, will make a steady climb, rising above freezing Thursday and reaching into the 50s Saturday and low 60s on Sunday. A light rain and drizzle is possible Saturday and Sunday.
This story was originally published January 30, 2019 at 2:43 PM.
