Winter weather watch issued for Kansas City, with forecasts of up 13 inches of snow
As the first major winter storm of the season bears down on the Kansas City metro this weekend, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch in effect from 6 p.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. Monday across north central Missouri.
Areas under the watch should expect heavy snow, with total accumulations between 4 and 13 inches, according to the winter storm watch. Most of the area can expect more than 8 inches. The highest snowfall amounts will be north of Interstate 70. Over a foot of snow is possible for areas north of I-70 and along highway 36, the weather service said.
Sleet and freezing rain could start Saturday night south of I-70, before turning into snow late Sunday morning and into the early afternoon, with up to one third of an inch of ice possible. Travel is believed to become extremely difficult, with windy conditions that could blow snow and cause poor visibility.
Uncertainty remains in the timing and exact track of the storm, the weather service said in its updated forecast Thursday afternoon.
Wind chill temperatures over the next couple days will be near zero and continue to plummet into the next week, according to the National Weather Service.
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 PJ Green contributed.
