First Warn Weather Day underway as we brace for multiple, wintry impacts

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Today is a First Warn Weather Day, our highest alert for impactful weather, as we track a multitude of impacts. These include damaging wind gusts, potential snow, snow squall concerns, isolated thunderstorms, and a sharp temperature drop.

SUNDAY MORNING:

The early morning hours are the only suitable time for getting out and about today. We’re starting in the 60s, but breezy winds will power a swift cool down to the 40s in the late morning. By 10 am, wind gusts will increase rapidly, with gusts up to 50 mph possible.

We also have some rain and thunderstorm opportunities this morning, but they’ll be overall difficult to come by. We’re keeping rain and storm chances low at a 30%, with the greatest potential for rain and storms northeast of the metro.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING:

Around lunchtime, our day deteriorates further. Winds continue to strengthen into the afternoon, with gusts up to 60 mph possible. Winds this strong can down tree limbs, cause power outages, and create hazardous driving conditions, especially for tall vehicles.

Behind the scenes, this wind will be powering a dramatic cold crash. As temperatures sink into the 30s, we’ll watch as a line of wintry mix and snow approaches from the west. That may arrive as early as 2 pm this afternoon, leaving us with wintry mix chances all the way into the evening. Snowfall potential from this system is very low, especially because our grounds will still be quite warm. A dusting of snow is the most likely outcome, but isolated totals around an inch are possible, especially north of Highway 36.

The primary issue with today’s snow is reduced visibility. As our snow potential grows, our wind gusts also strengthen. When snow and strong winds combine, we can expect snow squalls that rapidly reduce visibility. It is not safe to be on the roads this afternoon and evening, so complete all travel and errands before then. If you find yourself driving through snow, stay alert as visibility can drop from miles to feet in seconds. If you notice visibility beginning to drop, use your low-beam headlights, pull over, and brake slowly.

While damaging winds will be the most widespread impact today, we will monitor potential rain and snow, temperature drops, and visibility concerns.

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Continue checking in with us throughout the day as we bring you the latest information.

MONDAY: Impacts roll over into Monday morning, leaving us with a FIRST WARN to start our work week. This is because temperatures will bottom out in the teens and winds up to 30 mph will stick with us. As a result, morning wind chills will be sitting at or below 0 degrees. This is dangerous cold and allows frostbite to set in in as little as 30 minutes. Minimize you and your family’s outside time in the morning, including at the bus stop.

REST OF THE WEEK: We enjoy a swift warm up that’ll take us back to the upper 70s by Thursday! Spring arrives with a pleasantly warm stretch to end the week.

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