A significant winter storm is expected overnight and will continue through Sunday evening in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Unified Government (UG). Snow is forecast around midnight, with current estimates ranging from 5 to 8 inches. Localized totals may vary depending on how long a lull in snowfall develops Saturday afternoon.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the region from midnight tonight through 6:00 p.m. Sunday. Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly. Residents are strongly encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.
Snow is expected to increase overnight and continue into Saturday morning, with a heavier second round possible late Saturday night into Sunday morning. Forecasts show a potential lull Saturday afternoon. A shorter lull could lead to higher snowfall totals, while a longer break may reduce totals. Regardless of accumulation, dangerously cold temperatures are expected to persist through Monday. These conditions will cause snow and ice to bond quickly to road surfaces, making travel hazardous.
Public Works crews began pre-treating roads earlier this week and will complete pre-treatment today ahead of the storm. Crews focus first on Hot Routes and Secondary Routes.
Hot Routes are major roads such as State Avenue and Parallel Parkway. They also include streets that serve police and fire stations, hospitals, schools, and steep hills. Secondary Routes connect neighborhoods to Hot Routes. Neighborhood Routes are residential streets, including cul-de-sacs and dead ends.
Because this is a long-duration storm, a spokesperson with the Unified Government said snow crews will begin plowing Hot and Secondary Routes as soon as snow starts falling, rather than waiting for the storm to end. Crews will work continuously in 12-hour shifts to provide around-the-clock coverage.
As snowfall continues, streets that have already been plowed may become covered again. Crews will need to return to the same routes multiple times to restore traction. This repeated coverage, often called “recoverage,” is expected during long storms and can delay progress into other areas of the system.
If conditions allow and traction is restored on major streets, crews may begin addressing neighborhood routes on Sunday. Neighborhood routes make up most of the city’s approximately 2,400 lane miles and take significantly longer to clear, especially during storms that last multiple days.
Staffing levels also affect how quickly crews can move through the system. Public Works typically has about 25 snowplow operators per shift. By comparison, Overland Park operates with roughly 65 operators covering a similar number of miles. With fewer crews and a large street network, snow removal in Kansas City, Kansas, takes more time during extended storms.
Nearly 70 percent of snowplow operators have one year or less of snowplowing experience. Crews have trained extensively ahead of the season and are supported by supervisors and experienced operators. Residents are encouraged to be patient and to give crews space to work safely. Avoiding local streets and street parking during the storm helps crews operate more efficiently.
More information is available on the Snow Removal Policies and FAQs webpage. To report a service issue, residents can dial 3-1-1.
