Coldest air of the season filters into Kansas City. How far below zero will it feel?
Don’t let early spring-like temperatures fool you. It is still January, and according to the National Weather Service, some of the coldest weather of the season is about to head into the Kansas City area.
As you woke up on Friday, you might notice it was warmer than when you went to bed. Temperatures at Kansas City International Airport climbed from 33 degrees at 1 a.m. to 43 degrees at 3:30 a.m., according to the weather service’s forecast.
“If you can get out there and enjoy the day today, please do!” the weather service said.
Temperatures are expected to climb to near 50 degrees on Friday in the metro, which is more like early March than mid-January. Kansas City temperatures typically are around 38 degrees this time of year.
A few sprinkles or light showers may be possible in central Missouri.
But don’t get too comfortable.
Arctic air to send temperatures diving in Kansas City
A cold front is expected to move through the area from the northwest to southeast in the afternoon and evening. A blast of frigid arctic air will trail behind the front.
“Tonight, the coldest air of the season will begin filtering into the area,” the weather service said. “By tomorrow (Saturday), wind chill values are expected to be in the single digits.”
Temperatures will reach a high of 24 degrees on Saturday.
It will be cold when the Kansas City Chiefs take the field against the Houston Texans in their AFC divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. Fans will want to dress for the bitter weather.
By the 3:30 p.m. kickoff, temperatures will be low to mid-20s. The wind will make it feel much colder, and the wind chill will dive to around 10 degrees.
Even colder weather on the way, forecast says
The weather service said another infusion of cold arctic air is expected Saturday night, and temperatures will plummet to the single digits Sunday morning.
Temperatures will climb only to the low teens on Sunday, which will be a good 20 to even 25 degrees below normal. Overnight, temperatures will plummet to around zero degrees.
“The bitter cold is expected to linger through Tuesday morning, with the coldest temperatures occurring on Sunday night/Monday morning and Monday night/Tuesday morning,” the weather service said. Most of the Kansas City forecast area could see temperatures drop below zero.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, temperatures will be in the mid-teens, diving to -2 degrees overnight.
On Tuesday, temperatures will climb to nearly 20 degrees under sunny skies before falling to the low teens overnight.
The weather service said that wind chills are expected to bottom out between -10 and -20 degrees below 0 each morning and reach the single digits in the afternoon.
The weather will warm back up on Wednesday, climbing into the mid-30s.
Dry weather is expected to persist through the next seven days.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 7:24 AM.
