‘Please don’t travel’: Missouri troopers warn of poor road conditions after KC snowstorm
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is continuing to advise Kansas Citians to stay home after a winter storm dumped several inches of snowfall across the region on Thursday, leaving the roads in a poor condition that led to dozens of crashes and hundreds of calls for help.
The local patrol troop, which covers 13 counties in western Missouri, said in a tweet Thursday that from midnight until 8 a.m. its troopers had responded to 350 requests for service. Those included 208 stranded motorists, 80 non-injury crashes and five separate crashes with reported injuries.
No traffic fatalities were reported Thursday by the patrol. Eight people were injured in the crashes the agency responded to.
“Please don’t travel. If traveling, take it slow, buckle up, pay attention!” MSHP said on Twitter.
The winter storm dropped roughly 9 inches of snow in some parts of the metro on Thursday. High winds also caused snowdrifts that made visibility difficult and made removal efforts by snowplows more challenging.
Navigating the metropolitan area is expected to remain hazardous Friday. Several area public schools and other services have already made plans to remain closed.
