KC under winter advisory as freezing drizzle turns roads icy. Is stronger storm looming?
Freezing drizzle is expected to continue falling across the Kansas City area, coating area roads, highways and sidewalks with a thin layer of ice, the National Weather Service said.
The weather service has issued a winter weather advisory for the metro and portions of east, central and northeast Kansas and central, north-central, northeast, northwest and west-central Missouri that remains in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
An additional ice accumulation of .1 inch is possible, making travel difficult. The hazardous conditions impacted the morning commute, leading to numerous crashes and causing sections of the metro’s highways to shut down. The weather service said the evening commute could also be impacted.
“Drive with caution if you must travel today, but the best advice is to wait until tonight/Thursday when the freezing drizzle comes to an end & surface temperatures warm above freezing,” the weather service said on X, formerly Twitter.
The weather service said drivers should expect bridges, elevated surfaces and untreated roads to be slick.
Some Kansas City area school districts have canceled or delayed the start of classes, or turned to remote learning. The icy conditions have also lead to businesses and governmental agencies to delay opening.
Freezing drizzle to end as temperatures warm
The temperature at Kansas City International Airport shortly before 7 a.m. was 28 degrees, with a wind chill of 19 degrees.
In the metro, temperatures are expected to reach 32 degrees by noon and gradually warm to 41 degrees by 6 p.m. The freezing drizzle will end around noon, switching to drizzle and rain during the afternoon.
Temperatures north of U.S. 36 highway in northern Missouri “will struggle to warm substantially above freezing,” the weather service said.
“Eventually the freezing drizzle should push eastward out of our forecast area by the early evening,” the weather service said. “Non-freezing drizzle may continue into the evening hours.”
Temperatures will climb to near 50 degrees on Thursday and the mid-40s on Friday.
More rain, freezing drizzle in Kansas City’s forecast
Another round of rain is expected Saturday, mainly in the eastern parts of the Kansas City area, the weather service said.
The chances for rain east of Interstate 35 are above 80%, dropping to around 40% to the west. Temperatures are expected to climb to the upper 40s on Saturday.
Whether or not rain turns into a wintry mix depends on temperatures. The weather service said if colder air tracks further south, it “could result in another freezing-like event or snow.”
The weather service said that some forecast models show that freezing drizzle is possible in the far northeast parts of the Kansas City forecast area and that there may be weak thunderstorms in the southeast locations.
“For now, expect precipitation potential Saturday, and as we get closer will be able to refine any kind of potential winter precipitation impacts should colder air settle in a portion of the forecast area,” the weather service said.
Is a stronger winter storm brewing?
Cooler weather will settle into the metro for the remainder of the weekend and the start of next week. Temperatures will climb to the mid-30s on Sunday and near 40 degrees on Monday. Typically, Kansas City sees temperatures in the low 40s this time of year.
“There a signal for another stronger system toward the middle of next week that could bring impactful precipitation accumulations,” the weather service said.
With the storm six to seven days out and a wide spread in the amount of snow or precipitation possible, the weather service didn’t try to pinpoint details of the storm’s impact.
“However, be prepared for active weather through the middle part of the next work week,” the weather service said.
The seven-day forecast indicates that snow is possible on Tuesday.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 8:33 AM.
