Updated: Monday, 5:30 a.m.
One of the biggest snowstorms in the Kansas City area’s recorded history tapered off Sunday night, leaving nearly a foot of snow or more on the ground in parts of Johnson County and around the region.
Now, forecasters say frigid temperatures have set in for much of the rest of this week, likely complicating efforts to clear roadways and return life to normal.
As of Sunday night, the National Weather Service’s field office in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, reported an official snowfall total from Sunday’s storm of 11 inches, recorded at Kansas City International Airport.
That would make it the fourth largest single-day snowfall total in Kansas City’s recorded history, and the most since 1962.
The final snowfall total for Sunday (1/5) at Kansas City International was 11.0″. This is the 4th largest single calendar day snowfall on record in Kansas City (dating back to 1888). The top 3? 3/23/1912 (16.1″), 1/18/1962 (11.8″), and 2/27/1900 (11.8″).
— NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) January 6, 2025
But areas of the region could have seen more snow.
National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Bowman said they received a report from near College Boulevard and Pflumm Road in Overland Park of slightly more than 12 inches on the ground.
Now, freezing temperatures will be the challenge.
A cold weather advisory is in effect until 11 a.m. Monday morning, with wind chills expected to fall to as low as -15 degrees.
Forecasted high temperatures in the Kansas City area don’t top 20 degrees until Thursday, with low temperatures and wind chills expected to be well below zero, especially in the mornings.
“It will make it challenging, but the sun will be out which will help,” Bowman said Monday morning. “When temperatures get this cold, the treatments for the roads are kind of limited. But I’ve seen plows out already, so they’re out there working, clearing the roads, but the temps will certainly be a challenge.”
Original story continues below:
A blizzard that dumped up to nearly a foot of snow on some parts of Johnson County on Sunday — and wasn’t done as of Sunday evening — prompted local schools to cancel classes Monday, cities to shut down municipal offices and trash collectors to delay pickups.
In addition, local police agencies were busy Sunday assisting hundreds of motorists who had become stuck or slid off area roadways.
With an ice storm followed by snowfall beginning overnight Saturday, Johnson Countians woke up to a blanket of fluffy snow on Sunday morning, the first snow of 2025.
Most of Johnson County received between six to eight inches of snow as of about 3 p.m. on Sunday, but the northeast corner of the county received between 8 to 12 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service’s Kansas City field office.
Snowfall is expected to continue across the Kansas City area Sunday evening, and bring an additional four to eight inches.
The National Weather Service of Kansas City issued a blizzard warning for Johnson County late Saturday night, warning that wind gusts as high as 40 miles per hour could blow snow around and lower visibility.
The blizzard warning is in effect until midnight, with visibility dropping below quarter-mile due to blowing snow.
A ‘more than a generation’ snow
Allan Curtis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, told the Johnson County Post in a phone interview Sunday that the last time the metro region saw a similar one-day snowfall accumulation was in February 1993, with 10.5 inches.
Before that, the last two-day snowfall accumulation of 12 inches of snow or more was in January 1962, he said.
“In terms of like, magnitude of snowfall, it’s been quite literally more than a generation,” Curtis said.
Time Lapse of the near blizzard conditions in the KC Metro. As seen from Mission, KS! #kswx #kcwx #mowx #winterwx pic.twitter.com/2ItU8jIqB9
— Jakeb Miller (@jakebmillerWX) January 5, 2025
Curtis said the Kansas City metro, including Johnson County, reached blizzard conditions by late morning on Sunday.
Blizzard conditions means that visibility is one-quarter mile or less and wind gusts of 35 miles per hour or more for at least three hours, Curtis said.
Curtis said the blizzard is expected to continue into the evening hours Sunday, and about six more inches of snow could fall on top of the roughly six to 10 inches already reported across the metro as of Sunday evening.
Curtis said people should consider delaying or changing plans to travel in a blizzard, but if they must get outside, to take it seriously – and be prepared that help will take longer to get to them in the event that they get stuck.
“A blizzard warning is the equivalent of a tornado warning,” Curtis said.
More than 200 drivers assisted on Sunday
Blizzard conditions across Johnson County continued to cause significant problems for all drivers, including first responders, on Sunday.
While the number of crashes was down significantly from Saturday’s ice, there continued to be major problems on area roads and highways on Sunday.
According to online call logs, between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., police and deputies across Johnson County assisted more than 200 drivers struggling with conditions, but police responded to just seven reported crashes during that time.
Gardner Police and a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy were attempting to assist a driver stuck on the railroad crossing near East Main Street and North Moonlight Road.
Officers could not free the vehicle before abandoning it due to a slow-moving train approaching. The train was unable to stop in time and hit the unoccupied vehicle. No injuries were reported.
Police and firefighters had their own struggles with the road conditions, with several public works crews bringing out tractors and other heavy equipment to assist with snow removal operations, including helping stuck emergency vehicles.
The Kansas Department of Transportation posted on social media that all state highways are closed across Johnson County with near whiteout conditions and unplowed roads.
Schools closed on Monday
- Around noon Sunday, the Shawnee Mission School District announced classes for Monday would be canceled due to the storm’s impacts.
- Blue Valley Schools and Olathe Public Schools also soon thereafter canceled class activities and athletics for Monday, too.
- Students in Unified School District 232 already had Monday off, but the district announced on Sunday that no employees would report for duty on Monday “unless requested to do so by their immediate supervisor.”
- USD 232 also postponed its board of education meeting scheduled for Monday to until 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
No school tomorrow ❄️ 🥶 (Monday January 6), Plan A; from Ms. Betsi’s PreK class at @roepanther (I promise they are saying “No School tomorrow”) 😀! Stay safe and warm @theSMSD pic.twitter.com/77lJ0OHuJw
— Dr. Mike Schumacher (@DrMichaelSchum1) January 5, 2025
City halls, county operations shut down
- Overland Park announced Sunday evening that many of the city’s facilities will be closed Monday, including City Hall, the Matt Ross and Tomahawk Ridge community centers and the arboretum. A city council meeting scheduled for Monday evening as been rescheduled for next Monday, Jan. 13.
- Likewise, Lenexa said its public facilities — with the exception of public safety operations — would also be closed Monday and that a planning commission meeting Monday was canceled.
- The city of Leawood closed all municipal facilities, including municipal court, for Monday “due to the ongoing blizzard warning and the forecast accumulation paired with extremely dangerous temperatures,” according to a city press release.
- The Leawood City Council will still meet virtually at 7 p.m. on Monday, and that meeting can be watched online here.
- The city of Westwood also closed city hall and its municipal court on Monday and is conducting its planned planning commission meeting virtually. That meeting can be watched online here.
- The city of Prairie Village’s city hall will also be closed on Monday, and its city council meeting was already canceled.
- Johnson County Library announced all branches would be closed Sunday and Monday due to the storm but said patrons could still “stream movies and documentaries, listen to eAudiobooks, read eBooks” and more with its eLibrary online services.
- Some Johnson County Aging and Human Services programs like home delivered meals and nutrition centers are canceled or closed on Monday, according to the county’s winter weather guide.
- Johnson County Transit expects delayed starts for micro transit and RideKC Freedom services on Jan. 6, if road conditions allow it.
Blizzard delays trash pickups in NEJC, Olathe
- GFL, the waste collection provider serving northeast Johnson County, is not collecting yard waste the week of Jan. 6, according to a city of Fairway alert.
- The northeast Johnson County waste collector anticipates general service delays the entire week due to the blizzard.
- On Sunday, the city of Olathe announced that trash collection is canceled for Monday.
- All solid waste customers in Olathe will have their trash collection day pushed back by one day through Jan. 11.
- Republic Services, the waste collection provider in Prairie Village, is not running trucks on Monday, either, according to a city email alert.
Keep reading: Johnson County and metro KC brace for major winter storm — What you need to know
Mike Frizzell and Kyle Palmer contributed to this report.
