These Johnson County cities are already treating the roads ahead of looming snowstorm

Suburban cities in Johnson County are already getting ahead of the expected large snowfall this weekend as the Kansas City metro prepares for a slam of winter weather.

Officials in communities like Overland Park, Lenexa and Shawnee have announced that crews are already pre-treating their many miles of roads with brine or salt to prepare for icy pavement, some as early as Thursday.

The National Weather Service has placed Kansas City and the surrounding areas under a winter storm warning as a snowstorm approaches that could bring gusty winds and dump over a foot of snow in areas across the region. Travel is expected to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, as the storm passes through the Kansas City metro.

The storm is expected to bring a heavy mix of precipitation, including sleet, freezing rain or snow. There could be between six and 13 inches of snow alongside ice buildup.

Power outages are also possible, and below-freezing temperatures are expected to follow in the days after the storm.

Johnson County cities are now activating their standard processes to treat roads before the storm and deploy crews to remove the snow once it’s on the ground.

In Overland Park, crews are in the process of spreading salt on residential streets as of Friday afternoon, and will move to salting main thoroughfares on Saturday before the rain starts. That will continue into the night on Saturday and into Sunday, before plowing begins as snow accumulates.

An influx of plow drivers

Meg Ralph, spokesperson for Overland Park, said this is the first snow season in many years that crews have been fully staffed, and drivers will be available for every truck.

“We’ve always been able to cover our routes but had to get creative with staffing and incentive programs to be able to do so,” Ralph said. “Our snow boss team has been working hard for many months to recruit more drivers to be on our snow team. This year, we will have no issues getting a driver in every truck, with some relief and training drivers available if we get into several days of 12-hour shifts.”

Overland Park is asking residents to be patient with many new drivers on staff who will be working their first snowstorm.

Lenexa is similarly asking residents to be patient with its new snowplow drivers who will be responding to a big storm for the first time, particularly one with the potential for ice, in a growing city with many new roads.

In Shawnee, crews are already pre-treating roads with salt brine and will continue until the storm arrives, and they’ll continue with 12-hour shifts once the winter weather arrives and keep working until snow is cleared. The city conducted snowplow training earlier in the fall.

Crews in Mission will begin treating the roads with brine on Saturday and then salt in the afternoon before actively clearing the roads through the weather event.

Leawood crews have been pre-treating bridges and main roads since Thursday morning, which will continue again at noon on Saturday. The city will then prioritize artery roads, including Mission Road and 95th Street, for snow removal to ensure that main routes are passable before moving on to residential streets.

Officials there warn that, like anywhere in the metro, the predicted wind gusts and lead-in of precipitation could make pre-treating the roads less effective as the city does as much as it can to re-apply material to de-ice the roads ahead of the storm.

Officials across Johnson County ask residents to move their cars off their streets, if they can, to help crews manage the snow. Residents are also asked to stay home if possible and proceed with caution if they must travel, including giving snowplows plenty of space to do their work.

This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 4:24 PM.