‘Dangerously cold’ temps, wind in KC area forecast. Some schools will be closed Thursday
A strong arctic cold front will lead to “dangerously cold” weather Wednesday night into Thursday morning in the Kansas City area, the National Weather Service warns.
Any water that is left on the roads from the winter storm earlier is expected to freeze over, creating slick spots.
Wind chill factors may be between -10 and -20.
It’s all supposed to begin late Wednesday night. FOX4 meteorologist Joe Lauria said the cold air from the Upper Midwest will make its way toward Kansas City. Then, the area “may see a flash freeze” happen overnight with temperatures plunging after 10 p.m. and winds gusting up to 35 mph. Road conditions are expected to worsen after midnight.
A winter weather advisory was in effect until midnight Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, as moderate to light snowfall was expected to persist through the evening hours, followed by the cold front.
The weather service also issued a wind chill advisory that will be in effect from midnight to noon Thursday for parts of northeast Kansas and north-central and west-central Missouri.
The temperature by 8 a.m. Thursday is expected to be around 4 degrees.
The single-digit temperatures and wind chill factors that are expected early Thursday morning have prompted some area school district to call off classes.
Earlier Wednesday evening, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools announced on Twitter that there would be no school Thursday “due to the dangerously cold temperatures.” All Kansas City, Kansas, public libraries also will be closed on Thursday.
As of late Wednesday night, a few other districts, including Independence and Blue Springs public schools in Missouri, also said there would be no school Thursday due to inclement weather.
The Star will be updating a list of closures throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
During the afternoon hours Thursday, temperatures are supposed to warm up to the teens, Lauria said in a weather update to The Star.
“It’s going to be one of our coldest days we’ve seen so far this winter,” he said.
The next chance for precipitation in the Kansas City area could be Monday.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we did this story
The Star produced this weather update in partnership with the local FOX4 television station. The station’s meteorologists create forecast videos multiple times a day for the newspaper to include in its weather reports.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 7:32 PM.
