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Major Winter Storm Bears Down On KC
8 To 14 Inches Expected With 40 MPH Winds
POSTED: 3:38 pm CST January 30, 2011
UPDATED: 8:14 am CST January 31, 2011
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A wintry mix followed by 8 to 14 inches of snow is on its way to the Kansas City area Monday and Tuesday, forcing residents to prepare for one of the biggest storms in years.
KCTV5 meteorologist Gary Amble said that Monday should see some light freezing precipitation, but it should not amount to anything heavy. He said the afternoon rush hour could feature a few slick spots, but said that Tuesday will be the far more significant weather event.
The snow will move into the Kansas City area late Monday and will last through the day Tuesday, KCTV5 meteorologist Tom Wachs said. Winds of 40 mph will go along with 8 to 14 inches of snow, making for blizzard conditions.
"Road crews will have a difficult time with this snow, because it will be blowing around so much," Wachs said.
Following the snow, the high on Wednesday will be 8, with a Thursday morning low down to to -7 degrees.
Winter storm warnings have been issued for the entire KCTV5 viewing area through Wednesday morning.
Wachs said to not focus on snow amount, but the impact. The storm track could still shift, moving the heaviest snow, but the impact of snow with 40 mph winds will be the same, regardless of amount.
Wachs said the storm has moved its track to a more northerly pattern, which is why the Kansas City area could see the heavier snow amounts. The storm could be worst than the Christmas 2009 blizzard, Wachs said.
The National Weather Service forecast freezing rain and snow across the region Monday, heralding the start of a storm system that is expected to bring heavy snowfall Tuesday and Wednesday, paralyzing parts of the region. The storm was expected to march from the Rockies through much of the Plains and Midwest before making its way to the East Coast.
Early Monday, freezing drizzle made roads slick in northwest Missouri, causing cars to slide off highways in Buchanan County and prompting authorities to cancel classes at public and private schools in the area. Freezing rain and fog led to some flight delays Sunday at the airport in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Chicago and Milwaukee were expected to be particularly hard-hit. The weather service issued a blizzard watch for Tuesday and Wednesday for southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana that included those cities. Forecasters said snowfall totals could reach up to 2 feet in some areas by the time the storm system has moved through the region.
The weather service said the heavy snowfall combined with high winds could create whiteout conditions, particularly on Tuesday night into Wednesday, making driving extremely dangerous in some areas. Snow drifts of 5 feet to 10 feet are possible. The service said winds on Tuesday could reach up to 60 mph in open areas and near Lake Michigan.
Once the storm has moved through, bitterly cold temperatures are expected to grip much of the region. The weather service said wind chills as cold as 40 degrees below zero could hit parts of North Dakota and South Dakota.
8 To 14 Inches Expected With 40 MPH Winds
POSTED: 3:38 pm CST January 30, 2011
UPDATED: 8:14 am CST January 31, 2011
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A wintry mix followed by 8 to 14 inches of snow is on its way to the Kansas City area Monday and Tuesday, forcing residents to prepare for one of the biggest storms in years.
KCTV5 meteorologist Gary Amble said that Monday should see some light freezing precipitation, but it should not amount to anything heavy. He said the afternoon rush hour could feature a few slick spots, but said that Tuesday will be the far more significant weather event.
The snow will move into the Kansas City area late Monday and will last through the day Tuesday, KCTV5 meteorologist Tom Wachs said. Winds of 40 mph will go along with 8 to 14 inches of snow, making for blizzard conditions.
"Road crews will have a difficult time with this snow, because it will be blowing around so much," Wachs said.
Following the snow, the high on Wednesday will be 8, with a Thursday morning low down to to -7 degrees.
Winter storm warnings have been issued for the entire KCTV5 viewing area through Wednesday morning.
Wachs said to not focus on snow amount, but the impact. The storm track could still shift, moving the heaviest snow, but the impact of snow with 40 mph winds will be the same, regardless of amount.
Wachs said the storm has moved its track to a more northerly pattern, which is why the Kansas City area could see the heavier snow amounts. The storm could be worst than the Christmas 2009 blizzard, Wachs said.
The National Weather Service forecast freezing rain and snow across the region Monday, heralding the start of a storm system that is expected to bring heavy snowfall Tuesday and Wednesday, paralyzing parts of the region. The storm was expected to march from the Rockies through much of the Plains and Midwest before making its way to the East Coast.
Early Monday, freezing drizzle made roads slick in northwest Missouri, causing cars to slide off highways in Buchanan County and prompting authorities to cancel classes at public and private schools in the area. Freezing rain and fog led to some flight delays Sunday at the airport in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Chicago and Milwaukee were expected to be particularly hard-hit. The weather service issued a blizzard watch for Tuesday and Wednesday for southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana that included those cities. Forecasters said snowfall totals could reach up to 2 feet in some areas by the time the storm system has moved through the region.
The weather service said the heavy snowfall combined with high winds could create whiteout conditions, particularly on Tuesday night into Wednesday, making driving extremely dangerous in some areas. Snow drifts of 5 feet to 10 feet are possible. The service said winds on Tuesday could reach up to 60 mph in open areas and near Lake Michigan.
Once the storm has moved through, bitterly cold temperatures are expected to grip much of the region. The weather service said wind chills as cold as 40 degrees below zero could hit parts of North Dakota and South Dakota.
