Icy road conditions cause several minor accidents in Kansas City; bitter cold settling in

Icy roadways caused by snow, frigid temperatures and windy conditions caused several minor accidents in the Kansas City area Sunday morning.

Between half an inch and an inch of snow fell in areas north of Interstate 70 in the Kansas City area, with Kansas City International Airport reporting slightly less than 1 inch, the National Weather Service said. Areas south of Interstate 70 collected a dusting to a half inch of snow.

The snow melted on contact with pavement, then froze into ice overnight as temperatures plummeted below freezing, said Mike July, a meteorologist with the weather service at Pleasant Hill, Mo. The slick roads resulted in many minor accidents early Sunday morning. At 3 a.m., a vehicle traveling southbound on I-470 in Lee’s Summit slid off the road and struck a ditch. The driver was taken to St. Luke’s East Hospital with moderate injuries.

At 5 a.m., a vehicle traveling northbound on I-435 in Platte County slid off the road and struck a tree. The driver suffered minor injuries.

A representative of the Jackson County Sheriff’s office said Sunday morning that there had been several slide-off and roll-over accidents in the Kansas City area, but none involving serious injuries. Many of the accidents were reported in the Independence area.

At 9 a.m., a representative from the Missouri Department of Transportation said roads in Kansas City were listed as “partly covered to covered” with snow and/or ice on bridges, overpasses and exits, and that drivers should allow for longer braking distances. The Kansas Department of Transporation said roads were mostly clear, and that crews were out plowing, salting and sanding.

Sunday was expected to be sunny and cold, with a high near 16 and wind gusts up to 23 miles per hour. Temperatures are expected to be 20 degrees below average in Kansas City all week, July said.

Highs in the mid-20s are expected Monday and Tuesday, “then another blast of cold air comes flying in” on Wednesday, July said. Wednesday’s forecasted high is 9 degrees, with a wind chill between -10 and -15 degrees in the morning.

“It will be a brutally cold day,” July said.

July said he expects temperatures to remain below freezing through Saturday.

This story was originally published January 3, 2015 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Icy road conditions cause several minor accidents in Kansas City; bitter cold settling in."