Strong Winter Storm Will Strangle Plans For Missourians This Weekend!

When the National Weather Service puts a Winter Storm Watch in place 48 hours before it takes effect, you can confidently think there's a good chance many of us reading this will get walloped with quite a storm. Here's what the National Weather Service and our forecasters at Weatherology know now and why: if you plan to head out this weekend, Saturday may be your best bet.

A Winter Storm Watch means conditions are favorable for developing a winter storm. Still, its occurrence, timing, and severity remain uncertain. This winter storm watch for much of West Central Missouri goes into effect Saturday night, January 4, 2025, at 6:00 PM and runs through 3:00 AM Monday, January 6.

The National Weather Service says sleet and freezing rain could start late Saturday night for areas south of Interstate 70 before transitioning to snow during Sunday's late morning and early afternoon hours. Additionally, areas south of I-70 could see 1/3 of an inch of ice accumulation. Areas north of I-70 and along Highway 36 could see over a foot of snow. Uncertainty remains regarding the timing and location of the storm track.

The Weatherology forecast for the weekend, as of Thursday, January 2, says there is a slight chance of a mix of freezing rain and snow late Saturday afternoon, with a high of 30. Saturday night, a mixture of precipitation is likely, with a low of 22. That mixture of precipitation will likely continue on Sunday. As far as snow amounts are concerned, a dusting of snow is possible late Saturday afternoon and evening, and 4-5 inches of snow are likely on Sunday.

As the storm continues to set up and we approach its arrival, I expect our meteorologists at Weatherology and the National Weather Service to have a better handle on how major a snow/ice event this will be for Kansas City, Boonville, Columbia, Lee's Summit, Warrensburg, and Sedalia.

One thing's for sure: if you're planning to travel across the state or out of town, the earlier you can do that on Saturday, if not even earlier, the better off you'll be. If you're flying or taking the train, check with your airline or Amtrak before heading to the airport or train station; even if Kansas City or Columbia misses the worst weather, the storm could significantly impact flights into and out of both airports.