Snow, freezing rain, maybe thundersleet possible from winter snowstorm in Kansas City
The weather is about to take the Kansas City area on a wild ride starting with unseasonably warm temperatures that will give way to a winter storm that may bring rain, freezing rain, thundersleet and snow.
Travel conditions are expected to be dangerous Thursday from snow and ice as well as strong winds that could cause blowing and drifting snow, according to the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
There remains some uncertainty in how much snow is expected. The heaviest snowfall, however, will likely be in a narrow band stretching from the southwestern side of the Kansas City metro area to Moberly, Missouri, where 6 to 8 inches of snow is possible, according to the weather service.
Immediately north and south of that band, between 3 and 6 inches of snow is forecasted. Less than 3 inches of snow is expected across northwestern and far northern Missouri, according to the weather service’s forecast discussion.
Unseasonably warm weather
Temperatures were not feeling winter-like early Wednesday at Kansas City International Airport. For much of the early morning hours, temperatures hovered around 60 degrees. Temperatures typically are in the mid-40s this time of year.
A cold front was expected to start moving into northwest Missouri Wednesday morning, causing temperatures to vary widely — from the mid-40s near the Missouri and Iowa border to the the mid-60s in Kansas City area, according to the weather service.
Rain showers and possibly some thunderstorms were expected to develop late Wednesday afternoon and into early evening. Cold air is expected to pour in from the northwest, sending temperatures plunging below freezing, mostly likely around midnight in Kansas City, the weather service said.
Warm air, however, will remain aloft leading to freezing rain and sleet.
Thundersleet wouldn’t be a surprise
“Some instability looks to still be in place during the sleet phase of the event, so would not be surprised if we have some thundersleet,” the weather service said.
Ice from the freezing rain and sleet are expected to make roads, bridges, sidewalks and parking lots slick overnight into Thursday.
The Missouri Department of Transportation has warned drivers that road and highway conditions could be worse than previous storms.
“Because rain is expected to begin Wednesday, we will not be able to have crews out to treat ahead of the snow.” said Becky Allmeroth, MoDOT chief safety and operations officer. “Motorists should watch for heavy rain and potential flash flooding Wednesday evening. Then a glazing of ice under the Thursday morning snowfall will make the morning commute particularly slippery.”
The wintry mix of precipitation is expected to switch over to snow Thursday morning, with the heaviest snow falling roughly between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday. Travel is expected to be dangerous during this time as strong winds gusting up to 35 mph will reduce visibility and create blowing and drifting snow, the weather service said.
Very cold temperatures are expected behind the storm, with temperatures falling to the single digits overnight Thursday. A warm up begins with temperatures climbing above freezing on Friday and into the 40s on Saturday and 50s on Sunday.
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 7:20 AM.
