Kansas City braces for first major storm of winter with snow, ice, arctic temps expected
It’s looking more likely that Kansas City could see its first big winter storm of the season this weekend, with freezing rain and significant snowfall expected to fall in some parts of the metro.
But depending on the timing of the cold front, snow totals could still shift substantially, meteorologists said.
“It is possible that if the cold air comes in quicker it could be a really big snow event,” said Brett Williams, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Kansas City-Pleasant Hill.
As of Thursday morning, Kansas City is expecting at least 4 to 6 inches of snow, and up to 8 inches or potentially much more in the northeast area, though those numbers could change depending on how quickly the wintry mix turns to snow — which is expected to happen between Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon.
“We’re going to have freezing rain, maybe some sleet as well at the start of the event, and it might even continue into Sunday morning,” Williams said. “The big question is, how long do we remain in that area of freezing rain or sleet before we transition over to all snow.”
Higher amounts of snow are expected north of the metro, and lower amounts on the southern side which may have a higher chance of ice accumulation, according the National Weather Service.
Forecast for the weekend
Saturday has a slight chance of snow and freezing rain starting in the early afternoon.
It will be mostly cloudy with a high near 29 and a low around 20 degrees Saturday. The likelihood of snowfall mixed with freezing rain raises to 80% overnight with an expected accumulation between a quarter and half of an inch.
Sunday will have a high near 24 and low of 4 degrees with a 90% chance of snowfall.
That’s the start of the big chill that may mean the snow and ice could stick around a while.
“The big-time arctic cold comes in Sunday night,” Williams said, “and hangs around next week.”
Road preparations
Ahead of the storm, the Missouri Department of Transportation said on Thursday that it’s working to be prepared for all different kinds of precipitation, after being surprised by the metro’s last bout of winter weather.
The area’s last snowfall during the post-Thanksgiving weekend saw heavier rates than expected, with the Northland receiving the brunt of the snow. MoDoT Assistant District Engineer Matt Killion said that weekend, staff had to be moved to Kansas City’s Northland and then shifted to Cass County as snow piled in the southern area of the district.
For this storm, pre-treatment options are still being determined. Killion said that will depend on weather forecasts up to 12 hours before the storm. Common trouble spots like bridges, overpasses, curves and hills are typically treated ahead of storms, Killion said.
“If it’s freezing rain, we may do that in response to [the] forecast. If it’s just snow, we may just treat ahead on certain spots,” Killion said. “You don’t want to treat ahead of the storm, and it rains and it just washes the material away. So it’s really finding that sweet spot of right when we need to treat ahead of the storm.”
Prepping for a variance of snow, freezing rain, and sleet is the biggest challenge for the department, Killion said.
MoDoT’s Kansas City district will have crews working 12-hour shifts around the clock until the storm or roads are mostly clear.
Killion mentioned highways may take longer to clear because of the department’s reduced staffing and the winds and rain forecast behind the storm. 19% of state workers in the department have less than one year of experience, and 37% have been on the job for less than three years.
Killion encouraged people to stay home during the storm as crews work to clear roadways.
The Star’s Judy L. Thomas contributed.
This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 12:16 PM.
