Winter storm warning issued as heavy snow likely in Kansas City. Here’s when, how much
A pair of winter storms will move through the Kansas City area, bringing snow to the metro. However, the second storm warrants closer attention.
Snow from the first storm is expected to fall in the metro between 10 and 11 p.m. Monday and continue into the early morning hours, said Harrison Hayes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
The amount of snow will be paltry, with only a dusting to light snowfall likely. Hayes said the snow is expected to have a low impact on the metro.
A few days ago, 1 to 2 inches of snow was forecast for the first storm, but the projected snowfall amounts backed off in recent days. Dry air over the metro should keep the area from getting more snow, the NWS said. Hayes said there’s not a lot of moisture in the atmosphere to work with.
It’s the second storm that is garnering the most attention.
Winter storm warning issued for Kansas City
This stronger storm system is expected to arrive in the area as early as 9 p.m. Tuesday, with snow falling overnight through Wednesday afternoon, Hayes said.
Between 5 to 10 inches of snow is expected north of Interstate 70 and 5 to 8 inches south of I-70 in the metro, Hayes said.
“It’s going to be an all-snow event, most likely light and fluffy — not any of the heavy, wet stuff,” Hayes said.
The weather service has issued a winter storm warning for Kansas City and portions of Kansas and Missouri that will be in effect from midnight Tuesday to 9 p.m. Wednesday.
The second storm will have more moist air in place by the time it arrives Tuesday night. The heaviest snowfall is expected between mid- to late morning and the afternoon Wednesday.
“When you wake up, there may be an inch or two on the ground already, but definitely heavier snow amounts are going to be later in the morning and then later in the afternoon,” Hayes said.
While the snow is expected to impact both the morning and evening commutes, there will likely only be light snow on the ground in the morning. The accumulating snow will have a more significant impact on the evening commute.
“If you don’t have to, I wouldn’t recommend driving on Wednesday,” Hayes said. For those who have to be out, he recommended they use caution.
Frigid air will also move into the area, keeping temperatures well below freezing until Friday afternoon at the earliest, Hayes said.
Third storm coming Friday night
A third storm is expected to arrive Friday night and continue into Saturday. This weather system looks like it will bring a rain and snow mix, but not freezing rain, Hayes said.
“It’s probably going to start out as rain and then transition to snow sometime either Friday night or Saturday morning,” Hayes said.
Because the weather service has been focused on the Wednesday storm system, they don’t yet have projections on snowfall totals for the weekend storm.
It will be a fast-moving storm that moves from the southwest to the northeast. Hayes doesn’t expect it to be as impactful as the one occurring on Wednesday.
The rain will likely eat into the overall snow totals, he said.
