Snowfall totals lowered as brunt of winter storm to pass southeast of Kansas City
Snow from an ongoing winter storm that moved into the Kansas City region overnight was expected to affect the morning commute, according to an updated forecast from the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
The heaviest snowfall was expected between 5 and 9 a.m. in Kansas City, according to the weather service. Hazardous travel conditions were expected across much of Missouri and eastern and southeastern Kansas.
The brunt of the storm, however, is to pass southeast of Kansas City and as a result, the weather service has lowered expected snowfall totals to between 4 and 6 inches of snow. The north side of the metro will see lower amounts in the range of of 2 to 4 inches.
In its earlier forecasts, the weather service had said that a minor shift in the storm’s track could lead to noticeable differences in snowfall amounts.
Meanwhile, 6 to 10 inches of snow is still expected across central and eastern Missouri, including near Sedalia, Moberly and Columbia, according to the weather service.
Snow should be coming to an end around noon in the Kansas City area. A second push of snow Wednesday evening into Thursday will likely miss the Kansas City metro and areas to the north.
“We’ve cut snow amounts due to the more southerly track of the second round tonight,” the weather service said in its forecast discussion.
The weather service was urging people to stay home if possible. Those traveling on Wednesday and Thursday should plan for dangerous driving conditions across the region south of St. Joseph, Chillicothe and Kirksville, according to the weather service.
Bitter cold is expected to follow the snowstorm with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees in Kansas City on Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures are expected to be around zero degrees Friday morning before climbing to around 30 degrees during the day.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 7:10 AM.
