Rain, maybe some thunder, snow possible as strong winter storm cuts across Kansas City
Editor’s note: For more information on expected snowfall totals, check out: How much snow is expected in Kansas City this week? Check out these charts.
A strong winter storm system that is expected to cut through the Kansas City area in the coming days is threatening to have a significant impact on the metro but it’s still uncertain just how much snow to expect, according to the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
The approaching snowstorm will take Kansas City from one extreme to the other — from fire to ice — as warm and windy conditions on Tuesday put much of the metro area under the risk of high fire danger.
The National Weather Service has placed Kansas City and areas to the west under a red flag warning, which indicates dangerous fire weather conditions will develop, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Strong south winds with gusts of 35 to 40 mph will be common across portions of eastern Kansas and far western Missouri. The strong winds will combine with low humidity, dry vegetation and unseasonably warm weather. Temperatures will climb into the mid-60s in Kansas City on Tuesday, far above the normal temperature of 44 degrees for this time of year.
“Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly,” the weather service said. “Outdoor burning is not recommended.”
A change in weather will come Wednesday as a winter storm system enters the area.
Drizzle and light rain is expected to start falling across the Kansas City region late Wednesday morning becoming more widespread rain showers with possible thunder in the afternoon and evening.
Cold air is expected to filter in from the northwest late Wednesday into early Thursday, allowing the rain to transition into a wintry mix of sleet, ice and snow. Warm air aloft could generate significant ice or sleet accumulations, with areas east of the metro seeing the greater chance for ice, the weather service said. Eventually, the wintry mix will become all snow.
There remains uncertainty in how much snow the metro area can expect from the storm, although the weather service is favoring four or more inches through the Kansas City area and into northeast Missouri, the weather said in its forecast discussion.
“Folks should prepare for potentially significant impacts to travel on Thursday,” the weather service said.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 7:42 AM.
