Schools canceled as freezing drizzle turns Kansas City roads slick; crashes piling up
Many schools across the Kansas City area have canceled classes Wednesday after a wave of freezing drizzle has turned roads icy.
The ice caused numerous crashes around the area as people headed out for their morning commute.
School districts that canceled classes because of the weather included Lee’s Summit, Piper, Center, Kansas City, Independence, Olathe, Park Hill and North Kansas City.
The Kansas City, Kan., school district said it would have a two-hour delayed start. All buses would run their routes two hours late, serving only regular to-and-from routes. All preschool and morning Kidzone were canceled.
The icy conditions caused numerous crashes that led to temporary closures of some highways.
For an updated list of schools with canceled classes, click here.
Northbound Interstate 35 was temporarily closed at 119th Street in Olathe because of a jackknifed semi-tractor trailer. Eastbound Interstate 70 was closed at the Jackson Curve because slick conditions led to crashes.
As of 7:30 a.m., Kansas City Scout showed 21 crashes on metro area highways. Most of those were on the Missouri side.
The Kansas City Police Department said that in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Wednesday, there had been 301 reported vehicle crashes in the city. For the previous 24-hour period, the city had only 79 crashs, which it said was a relatively normal day.
“Roads are improving, but you should still slow down and leave a lot of room in front of you,” the police department said on Twitter.
The Kansas City District of the Missouri Department of Transportation warned drivers that roads were very slick, especially bridges and overpasses. Drivers were urged to slow down and add plenty of time for their morning commute.
“Looks can be deceiving,” the transportation department said on Twitter. “We’re seeing lots of black ice across the #KC area. Please reduce your speed. Take your time.”
The Kansas Department of Transportation said it had crews treating roads overnight.
In Kansas City, conditions continued to be icy because of the freezing drizzle and mist.
“It’s very important to allow more time and be vigilant for slick spots especially on bridges/overpasses,” the transportation department’s Kansas City Metro area district said on Twitter.
The Wheeler Downtown Airport was closed Wednesday morning after an airplane slid off of a slick runway while landing. The airport reopened several hours later after federal investigators released the plane, according to an airport spokesman.
RideKC said that bus service, which had been suspended earlier in the morning because of unsafe, icy conditions, will resume at 11 a.m. Riders should expect delays. They also should use caution walking to and from bus stops.
Meanwhile, RideKC Freedom paratransit service will resume service in Phase C. Significant delays were expected.
The KC Streetcar said on Twitter that it was operating with regular service hours of 6 a.m. to midnight on Wednesday.
“Conditions are slick out there, so be safe,” the KC Streetcar said.
The freezing drizzle was expected to continue through the morning commute, according to the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill. That could make travel hazardous, especially on secondary and untreated roads, bridges and overpasses.
People should take extra care on sidewalks and parking lots.
The National Weather Service extended a winter weather advisory for the metro area and central and west-central Missouri, saying that freezing drizzle was expected until noon.
Although only a light glazing of ice was expected, travel could be hazardous due to slick conditions.
Highs were only expected to reach the 20s Wednesday, so drivers should anticipate roads to remain icy after the precipitation ends, according to the National Weather Service.
Because of weather conditions, the Overland Park Police Department asked people who were involved in non-injury crashes to walk in crash reports. People should exchange driver license numbers, insurance information, license plate numbers and names of drivers, passengers and witnesses.
Police will continue to respond to injury crashes and crashes where the vehicles are not drivable or where impaired driving is suspected.
This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 5:51 AM with the headline "Schools canceled as freezing drizzle turns Kansas City roads slick; crashes piling up."
