Don’t waste Kansas City’s warmest day. Colder weather, maybe snow returns soon
Don’t waste what’s likely to be the warmest day of the week, because colder temperatures and a chance for snow will return to the Kansas City area after Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Kansas City will finally see a brief warm-up on Wednesday, with temperatures expected to reach 33 degrees. That’s the first time in nearly a week the metro will rise above freezing, even though it’s still below average for this time of year. Temperatures are expected to fall o the mid-teens overnight.
Kansas City’s average high temperature for this time of year is 39 degrees during the day, with lows typically around 20 degrees overnight.
The warm-up will be short-lived, as much colder weather is set to return to the region by this weekend. Temperatures on Thursday will drop to the mid-20s, according to the National Weather Service. They will tumble to around 10 degrees overnight.
Frigid Arctic air moves back in
There’s also a chance for light snow in a narrow band stretching from eastern Nebraska through southwest Iowa and possibly into northern Missouri.
The weather service says light accumulations, just a few tenths of an inch, are possible in areas from Maryville to Macon, mainly north of U.S. 36 in northern Missouri.
More frigid Arctic air is expected to push into the area on Friday, keeping temperatures in the mid- to upper teens, before dropping to minus 1 overnight. Wind chills of minus 10 to minus 20 degrees will be possible on Saturday morning.
Temperatures are expected to remain cold on Saturday, with highs around 16 degrees before falling to around 8 degrees overnight.
There will be another chance for light snow on Sunday morning.
“Greatest potential for accumulations continues to be focused across northern Missouri, though this is expected to be a more widespread affair than Thursday,” the weather service said. Areas north of Interstate 70 have the greatest chances for minor accumulations.
Rain, snow possible next week
Temperatures will begin to warm up on Sunday, reaching about 31 degrees. The warm-up will continue into next week, with near-normal temperatures on Monday and Tuesday.
Forecasters, however, are keeping an eye on the possibility of precipitation returning to the region from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
It’s too early to tell exactly what kind of precipitation will fall, but rain or snow is possible, according to the weather service. A wintry mix is unlikely.
This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 8:22 AM.
