This story was updated Friday, Jan. 22.
The first winter storm of 2026 is on its way, Johnson County.
The National Weather Service of Kansas City is forecasting bitter cold temperatures and up to 6 to 8 inches of snow in Johnson County and the Kansas City region.
Temperatures are expected to remain below 10 degrees for the majority of the weekend, said Brent Pesel, a meteorologist with NWS of Kansas City.
“The temperatures are so cold that we are looking to deal with just snow,” Pesel said. “We’re not expecting any ice, sleet, freezing rain, anything like that.”
Roads can still be slick, though, Pesel said.
As the winter storm looms over Johnson County, cities are preparing streets and snow plows to tackle the several inches of snow in the forecast.
As of Friday morning, however, no Johnson County schools had called off classes, while many schools in Kansas City, Missouri, including Kansas City Public Schools, had.
“Bitterly cold temperatures”
Unlike winter storms in recent years, Pesel said this weekend’s storm begins with “bitterly cold temperatures” starting after sunset on Thursday.
Temperatures will drop to between 5 and 10 degrees and are expected to remain below 10 degrees for a majority of the weekend, Jan. 26, Plesel said.
“It is fairly rare in this instance to have the bitterly cold air come in before the storm comes,” Pesel said. “It’s almost like we have kind of two separate events happening at the same time, and they are going to affect each other.”
Following frigid temperatures, snowfall is expected to begin late Friday into early Saturday morning, Pesel said.
The highest snowfall is expected to hit after sunrise on Saturday into the early afternoon. Snowfall is predicted to stop Saturday night into Sunday morning, Pesel said.
Total predicted accumulations have gradually increased as the week progresses, but as of Thursday morning, Pesel said snow totals should fall between 4 and 6 inches.
“There are still some uncertainties and things that can happen that could push those totals higher or lower, which unfortunately we’re not really going to get too much of an eye on until things really start putting themselves together and we see the storm pretty much on our doorstep,” Pesel said.
A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for locations south of Interstate 70 for Friday night through early Sunday for significant snow accumulation of 3 inches or more. Areas further north will also see some accumulating snow. Bitter cold temperatures will accompany the snow. pic.twitter.com/45mMpFwCH2
— NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) January 21, 2026
JoCo cities prepare streets, snow plows
Several Johnson County cities are preparing streets, snow plows and other equipment for the first winter storm of 2026.
In Leawood, crews have already started applying brine to streets, said Beth Breitenstein, the city’s spokesperson.
The city will also pretreat with salt prior to snowfall, including using a pre-wet system that applies chloride magnesium to the salt to address effectiveness during frigid temperatures, Breitenstein said.
“We have also reminded staff of the importance of protecting themselves and taking proper precautions when working outdoors, especially as frigid temperatures move in,” Breitenstein said.
In Prairie Village, crews are spending Thursday and Friday ensuring all plow trucks are properly prepared, said James Carney, the public works field superintendent.
Crews will begin pretreating Prairie Village streets with salt starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, Carney said. Then, they’ll move into rotating shifts every 12 hours until the snow stops and the streets are in good condition, he said.
The city of Merriam is taking similar precautions, with plans to pretreat streets Thursday and Friday and 12-hour shifts for crews starting before the storm, said Public Works Director Celia Kumke. This includes a liquid brine on bridges and arterial roads and a rock salt on local streets.
Shawnee plans to brine primary streets on Friday and salt secondary streets in the evening, said city spokesperson Doug Donahoo.
In Lenexa, crews are getting snow plows ready and making other preparations Thursday and Friday, with plans to begin treating roads on Saturday.
In Overland Park and Olathe, crews and “snow bosses” were meeting on Thursday to discuss the latest forecasts and pre-treatment plans.
Local leaders are encouraging the public to get prepared before the storm, too.
“Today is a great opportunity to ensure that you’re stocked up on medicine, food, and that you take proper precautions to prevent frozen pipes,” said Cody Kennedy, the chief communications and marketing office for the city of Olathe.
“Bundle up”
Pesel said people need to ensure they “bundle up” in the extreme cold this weekend, covering any exposed skin as frostbite can set in minutes in the forecasted temperatures.
Additionally, Pesel recommends travelers stay prepared with winter weather kits in their vehicles that may include items like shovels, extra batteries, warm clothes and blankets.
Pesel said he suggests keeping an eye on the forecast as the storm has evolved as the weekend gets closer.
Keep reading weather news: Icy roads cause chaos overnight on I-35 in Olathe, with multiple vehicles spinning out
