New Year brings bitter cold, snow to Kansas City area. And it’s only going to get worse.
Forecasters expect road conditions to worsen throughout the day Saturday as snow continues to accumulate across the Kansas City region.
Snow, sleet and freezing rain began falling across the area early Saturday morning. The National Weather Service expects two to three inches to fall in Kansas City over the course of New Years Day. Accumulations will be even higher in Northern Missouri: Maryville and Bethany, for example, could see up to 8 inches of snow Saturday.
The National Weather Service says the snowfall and cold temperatures will make for slippery road conditions. The Missouri Department of Transportation shows most interstates on the Missouri side of the metro are already covered.
The bi-state traffic tracking system Kansas City Scout shows several crashes and stalled vehicles on both sides of the state line.
Kansas City Manager Brian Platt said some 300 snow trucks were working across the city Saturday morning.
“It’s 16 degrees and getting colder which makes fighting the snow hard,” he wrote on Twitter.
Much of the region is under a Winter Weather Advisory through midnight. Temperatures are expected to plunge throughout the day, with thermostats dipping to single digits overnight and into early Sunday.
Wind chills will drop to below zero by midday Saturday and could reach as low as 15 degrees below zero.
“Bitter cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken,” the National Weather Service forecast says.
To stay safe, the weather service urged people to avoid unnecessary travel on Saturday as cold temperatures will limit treatment options for road crews.
“If you’ve got to travel, slow down and allow some extra time to get to your destination,” said Chris Bowman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “But it’s always best, if you don’t have to travel, to just stay home.”
“It will be pretty bitter cold for anyone who has to be outside,” Bowman said.
Inclement weather caused Union Station to close its doors Saturday. That includes attractions like Science City, the planetarium and the traveling Auschwitz exhibit. Ticket holders will receive emailed instructions on rescheduling.
The weather has also caused several flight cancellations at Kansas City International Airport. Airlines began canceling flights on Friday, said Justin Meyer, deputy aviation director.
Meyer said airlines make decisions about canceling flights. The airlines will communicate directly with passengers about delays and cancellations. Or, travelers can check the airport’s flight status page online.
“We can handle snow,” he said. “It’s the freezing rain and the ice that’s a little bit more of a challenge.”
With crews treating roads, runways and taxiways, he said the airport expects to stay open for those airlines going ahead with flights. That includes the Kansas City Chiefs’ chartered flight scheduled to take off for Cincinnati this afternoon.
“We should be able to keep the airfields open,” Meyer said. “I don’t believe we’ll see significantly more cancellations as this storm kind of evolves.”
This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 9:17 AM.
