Rain Wednesday to worsen road conditions during winter storm hitting Kansas City area
A winter storm expected to strike midweek will likely make road and highway conditions worse that during previous storms, the Missouri Transportation Department warned Tuesday.
The cold front moving across the state is threatening to bring rain Wednesday that will change to ice and snow overnight into Thursday morning, leaving slick roads throughout most of the day, the transportation department said in a press release.
“Because rain is expected to begin Wednesday, we will not be able to have crews out to treat ahead of the snow.” said Becky Allmeroth, MoDOT chief safety and operations officer.
“Motorists should watch for heavy rain and potential flash flooding Wednesday evening. Then a glazing of ice under the Thursday morning snowfall will make the morning commute particularly slippery,” she said.
New fallen snow combined with cold temperatures are expected to adversely affect road conditions overnight Thursday. Drivers are being urged to slow down if they must travel Wednesday night through Friday morning.
Strong winds of up to 20 mph along with gusts of up to 30 mph will also pose a hazard for trucks and other high-profile vehicles through Thursday night.
Earlier this year both Kansas and Missouri transportation officials warned that labor shortages could affect their ability to quickly clear roads after winter storms.
The National Weather Service in Kansas City has issued a winter storm watch for the region from late Wednesday into Thursday afternoon, saying heavy mixed precipitation is possible.
Total snow accumulations are expected to be between 3 and 5 inches. Meanwhile, around 1/10th of an inch of ice is possible.
There remains some uncertainty in the forecast, including the potential track of the storm system, the timing of the transition of rain over to ice and snow, and the precise snow and ice amounts and locations.
“Plan on slippery road conditions,” the weather service said. “Patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact morning and evening commutes.”
