It’s not so much a matter of if Johnson County is going to get snow this weekend, according to the National Weather Service, it’s a matter of how much.
As of Friday morning, forecasters were warning that parts of the Kansas City region, including areas of northern Johnson County, could see upwards of a foot of snow by Sunday night — an unusually high but not unprecedented amount for a single storm here.
A winter storm is expected to bring ice, sleet, and heavy accumulating snow starting SAT afternoon. Ice and sleet will be possible for areas south of HWY-50 SAT afternoon into SUN AM. The ice and sleet are anticipated to transition to snow SUN afternoon. Please be safe! pic.twitter.com/3E9UkL3JJT
— NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) January 3, 2025
With that comes the responsibility for local homeowners to get their driveways and sidewalks adjacent to their properties cleared in a timely manner.
Some Johnson County municipalities have rules about how soon you should get that done after a winter storm.
Here are Johnson County cities’ rules about shoveling sidewalks:
Fairway: The city does not have an ordinance requiring residents to shovel sidewalks near their property. A city spokespersons said this week the “city strives to clear sidewalks adjacent to its property within 48-hours of a storm’s completion.”
Leawood: Property owners or occupants of any lot abutting sidewalks are required to clear all snow and ice within 48 hours of a snow event ending.
Lenexa: The city does not have a specific ordinance requiring residents to remove snow from sidewalks.
Mission: It is a requirement of all property owners to clear public sidewalks of snow within 48 hours after snowfall if the city has received at least two inches of snow.
- Mission will not charge a fee for non-compliance but will issue a courtesy notice to property owners who are in violation.
Olathe: City officials say Olathe requires residents to shovel sidewalks adjacent to their properties within 48 hours of a snow event’s conclusion.
Overland Park: The city says homeowners are responsible for shoveling their property and are encouraged to clear public sidewalks adjacent to their property but the city does not require it.
Prairie Village: Prairie Village requires property owners to remove ice and snow from the sidewalks abutting their property within 24 hours from the time snow and ice has stopped falling.
Roeland Park: Property owners must clear all snow and ice from sidewalks adjacent to their property within 48 hours after the end of a snow or ice event.
- If the accumulation of ice makes it impossible to clear sidewalks, residents who sprinkle salt, sand or ash onto their sidewalk within the 48-hour time frame from the snow event will still be in compliance with city code.
Shawnee: Shawnee requires residents to shovel their sidewalks within a 48-hour period after the snowfall ends.
- Residents there could face fines up to $500 if they do no comply.
