Snow flurries aren’t the problem — Arctic blast is about to freeze Kansas City
A few harmless snow flurries might dust Kansas City, but it’s a blast of frigid Arctic air that’s about to grip the region.
A cold front is pushing through the area on Wednesday morning, bringing the chance of a light mix of wintry precipitation across central Missouri, according to the National Weather Service.
There is a low chance of freezing drizzle north of U.S. 36 across northern Missouri, near the Iowa border, but any impact should be minimal and confined mainly to elevated surfaces, the weather service said.
In the metro area, as well as eastern Kansas and western Missouri, snow flurries are likely.
Kansas City will see its warmest part of the day in the morning, with temperatures climbing to around 38 degrees. Kansas City typically sees temperatures in the mid-40s in early December.
As the cold front approaches, temperatures will begin dropping, and winds will pick up. Temperatures are expected to fall into the low 30s by 5 p.m., with wind chills in the low 20s.
After the front passes, an Arctic air mass will move in, sending temperatures plummeting, especially across north-central and northeast Missouri, according to the weather service.
Temperatures are expected to fall into the single digits in some areas on Thursday morning. Wind chills will make it feel much colder – around 10 degrees below zero north of U.S. 36. Some locations could see wind chills fall as much as 15 degrees below zero for a brief period.
In the metro, temperatures could plunge to around 10 degrees, with the wind chill dipping to near 4 degrees. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise to the teens and 20s.
On Friday, the weather will be a bit warmer, with temperatures climbing to near 40 degrees in the metro.
Another weather system might move into the area Saturday afternoon, but there’s a lot of uncertainty in the forecast, the weather service said.
This system could bring the metro’s next chance of precipitation, but forecast models currently show it passing north and east of the area, according to the weather service.
For now, the weather service is placing a slight chance of precipitation east of the metro near U.S. 63 in central Missouri.
“This system will need to be monitored,” the weather service said. The forecast should become clearer in the next day or two.
Heading into next week, the weather could warm up, but forecasts are very uncertain. Temperatures could range from the low 30s to the mid-50s, depending on how weather patterns evolve, the weather service said.