Arctic cold, round of snow to create dangerous conditions later this week in Kansas City
Don’t let the near 50-degree weather on Tuesday lull you into a false sense of security — winter will come roaring back later this week with bitterly cold temperatures and dangerous road conditions caused by light snow.
A warm up continues Tuesday with temperatures expected to climb into the upper 40s in the Kansas City area. Typically, Kansas City sees temperatures around 38 degrees this time of year. It will also be quite windy.
“Southerly winds with gusts up to 40 mph possible by this afternoon,” the National Weather Service in Kansas City said on Twitter. “Not to be outdone . . . strong northwesterly winds move in tonight behind a strong cold front. Strongest winds tonight will be up across northern MO where gusts of 45 mph are possible.”
Cold weather returns on Wednesday with temperatures reaching only the mid-20s. A quick moving winter storm is expected to sprint across the region Wednesday night into Thursday morning, bringing light snow with the heaviest amounts falling along the Interstate 70 corridor.
Between 1 to 2 inches of snow is expected in the Kansas City metro area. Areas north and south of the metro will likely only see a dusting of snow, according to the weather service. A slight shift in the storm could move higher accumulations further north or south.
Although not much snow is expected, the morning commute could become an issue as roads, especially bridges and elevated surfaces, become slick. Parking lots and sidewalks also could become slippery.
The winter storm is expected to usher in arctic air, bringing bitterly cold temperatures Wednesday night lasting until Friday morning. Overnight temperatures are expected to drop into the single digits.
Some areas could see temperatures drop below zero, according to the weather service. Dangerous wind chills are also expected, falling between zero and -15 degrees. A daytime temperature of 12 degrees is expected Thursday before falling into the single digits overnight. Temperatures will be a bit warmer on Friday, climbing into the upper 20s.
For those whose pipes tend to freeze in bitterly cold weather, the American Red Cross had suggestions on what to do to prevent them from freezing.
Some of the suggestions include adding insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces; insulating exposed water pipes with a “pipe sleeve” or installing UL-listed “heat tape,” “heat cable,” or similar materials; and wrapping exposed pipes in newspaper.
People should also open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing and in very cold conditions let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes.
Warmer weather returns on Saturday with temperatures climbing into the upper 40s to lower 50s. The high on Sunday will be near freezing.
