Snow mostly misses KC area Monday. But a second storm this week may pack more punch
A winter storm system moving through the Kansas City area Monday turned out to be a rather ho-hum event, with snow being more miss than hit.
But a second winter storm arriving later this week will have a more potent punch, forecasters say, bringing several inches of snow, bitter cold temperatures and possible blizzard-like conditions.
This storm could impact holiday travel.
By late Monday morning, the National Weather Service in Kansas City had received reports of rain falling in some parts of the metro. Meanwhile, others reported a rain and snow mix. Still others had a light snow, said Emily Klaus, a meteorologist with the weather service.
“It’s been hit or miss with what’s been happening — a really interesting event,” she said.
Those conditions were expected to continue into the afternoon until temperatures warm a little and the precipitation tapering off.
While there was some areas that were seeing a snow accumulating on neighborhood streets and back roads, the major streets and highways in the Kansas City area were clear.
The weather on Tuesday will be a nice lull before the next storm rolls in with dangerous conditions. It will still be unseasonably cold, with temperatures in the 20s. Areas south of Kansas City could see conditions in the 30s.
“Then as we head into Wednesday, that’s when things are starting to happen,” Klaus said.
Second winter storm this week
A second more powerful and dangerous winter storm system is expected to move into the Kansas City area Wednesday along with an arctic blast.
Snow is expected to start falling in the Kansas City area Wednesday afternoon and continue to Thursday morning.
Snowfall totals in the Kansas City metro area will range between 2 and 4 inches of snow. Meanwhile northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri could see as much as 6 inches of snow, areas east of Kansas City into north-central Missouri could see 2 to 3 inches of snow and a trace to an inch of snow in central Missouri, she said.
The snow is expected to fall between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. After the snow moves out, strong winds with gusts around 30 to 40 mph are expected to blow in along with dangerously cold temperatures. Temperatures are expected to fall in the single digits Thursday afternoon. By Friday morning, temperatures are expected to be below zero.
Wind chills are expected to be 30 to 40 degrees below zero, with the coldest wind chills in northwestern Missouri.
“Those temperatures are going to be incredibly dangerous for anybody that’s outside without any protection or for prolonged periods of time,” Klaus said.
The winds are expected to create near blizzard-like conditions, blowing around what is expected to be a dry snow. even after the snow has stopped falling, she said.
The frigid temperatures are expected to continue into Christmas Day with conditions warming only to the teens and 20s.
“It’s just going to be bitterly cold,” Klaus said.
Weather to impact holiday travel
Because this storm system will be affecting a lot of the Midwest, it will likely impact holiday travel, she said. With Chicago being a big hub for airlines, air travel could also be affected.
Because of the extreme cold, the National Weather Service is encouraging people to plan ahead. They are also urging people to keep their pets’ safety in mind too. Those with pets outside should provide them some kind of heat source or bring them inside because of the very extreme conditions.
People who tend to get frozen pipes should make sure they leave their cabinets open to expose the pipes to warmer air and leave their faucets running. They should also prepare a kit so that they can stay warm should the power go out.
Drivers should also check to make sure their fluids are full and that they have a full tank of gas as well. Those also headed out into the could need to make sure they are properly dressed for the weather, including having a way to cover their face.
“Those negative wind chills are going to freeze almost immediately upon contact,” she said.
Because the storm is still a few days out, the forecast could still change, especially when it comes to snowfall totals. Klaus encouraged people to watch for updated forecasts.
