Snowfall is tapering off in Kansas City, but experts predict frigid temperatures ahead
Editor’s note: Follow live Kansas City blizzard coverage here.
The snow that blanketed Kansas City from Saturday into Sunday is expected to end by midnight in most of the metro, a National Weather Service meteorologist said Sunday evening.
That’s also when the region’s Blizzard Warning, the agency’s most severe snow-related weather alert, comes to an end. The warning took effect at 3 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 5, and will lift nearly 24 hours later.
“Right now we are past the (snowfall) peak for most of the metro area,” said senior NWS meteorologist Chris Bowman. “It’s winding down, and it’ll continue to wind down from west to east through the evening hours.”
But harsh winter conditions aren’t over yet in the Kansas City area. Just as the Blizzard Warning lifts, a Cold Weather Advisory will take its place at midnight. By Monday morning, temperatures could drop as low as 0 degrees, with wind chill making it feel even colder— as low as minus 10 to minus 15 degrees, Bowman said.
Here’s a look at the blizzard’s impacts on the metro so far and what’s still to come.
How much snow fell on Kansas City?
Forecasts varied wildly ahead of the storm about exactly how much snow the blizzard would drop on the metro area. The reality is similarly scattered — official snowfall totals vary from place to place around the metro.
“It’s a pretty big range, and that range is probably going to be highest towards the north and on the lower end towards the south,” Bowman said.
Here’s an overview of snowfall totals by county as of around 6 p.m., according to National Weather Service data:
- Jackson County: mostly 6-8 inches, 9 inches maximum
- Clay County: mostly 6-10 inches, 10.8 inches maximum
- Platte County: mostly 8-10 inches, 12 inches maximum
- Johnson County: mostly 6-10 inches, 12 inches maximum
- Wyandotte County: up to 11 inches
Of course, these totals are still subject to change over the coming hours as snowfall tapers off across the metro area.
What weather is in store over the coming days?
The upcoming week is going to be a cold one in Kansas City. Bowman says that’s typical of weather following blizzards like this one.
“Usually temperatures for the next couple days are pretty cold as cold air moves in behind the storm system,” he said. “Our forecast doesn’t (predict) temperatures above freezing in the Kansas City area probably until (next) Saturday or even Sunday.”
A Cold Weather Advisory is already set to go into effect at midnight in the metro, and will last until at least 11 a.m. Monday. Daily high temperatures in the teens are predicted through Wednesday, Jan. 8, with wind chills bringing the “feels like” temperature down to 0 or below.
That means the snow just dumped on Kansas City won’t melt away in a hurry. The metro will likely retain its winter wonderland look at least until the end of the coming week.
“It’s going to be a couple days of really bitterly cold temperatures,” Bowman said. “Then it looks like by the time we get into Thursday and Friday we start to moderate a little bit.”
Do you have more questions about severe weather in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
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