Kansas City motorists stranded for hours after interstates, highways freeze over

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City region is under a blizzard warning through 3 a.m. Monday morning. Travel is not advised.

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UPDATE, 10:55 p.m. | With a blizzard warning in effect for all of Kansas City, KSHB 41's Wes Peery continues to track the winter storm as we head into Sunday.

UPDATE, 10:30 p.m. | The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports troopers in Troop A - the Kansas City region - worked more than 130 crashes between 1 and 9 p.m. Saturday.

UPDATE, 10:07 p.m. | While Saturday’s ice was a pain for many in Kansas City, we wanted to share a video from KSHB 41 viewer JJ Brost of his neighbors’ ice skating on the neighborhood street. Take a look at JJ's video below.

UPDATE, 9:50 p.m. | The National Weather Service has expanded the area of the blizzard warning, which now includes Johnson and Wyandotte counties and Jackson, Lafayette and Saline counties in Missouri.

The warning runs from 3 a.m. Sunday to 3 a.m. Monday.

Other parts of the Kansas City were previously included in the blizzard warning.

KSHB

UPDATE, 9:33 p.m. | KSHB 41's Wes Peery discussed his latest thoughts on Sunday's winter storm timeline and snowfall totals.

UPDATE, 9:30 p.m. | Roads aren't the only thing to keep an eye on overnight.

KSHB 41’s Ryan Takeo was out on his driveway tonight comparing where he used salt and where he didn’t. He filed this report in the video player below.

UPDATE, 9 p.m. | KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa says he and his photographer haven't made much progress in more than two hours trying to get around the Three Trails Crossing/Grandview Triangle.

The story is the same elsewhere. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports motorists in several locations have been stranded for multiple people due to the icy conditions.

UPDATE, 8:50 p.m. | First responders helping a stranded truck driver narrowly missed being caught up on a secondary wreck on an icy Interstate 435 Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri. Take a look in the video player below.

UPDATE, 8:30 p.m. | According to MoDOT, the scene is clear at northbound U.S. Highway 71 at I-670.

UPDATE, 8:15 p.m. | The Missouri Department of Transportation continues to urge drivers to avoid travel throughout the winter storm, which is expected to last until Monday morning.

"Drivers need to avoid traveling until conditions improve sometime on Monday,” said MoDOT Chief Safety and Operations Officer Becky Allmeroth. “For the remainder of this weekend, travel should be limited to emergencies only. These difficult conditions will also delay response times for our crews and emergency response partners.”

Across the state, MoDOT has 1,500 snow trucks operating with crews working 12-hour shifts until roads are mostly clear after the snow ends.

UPDATE, 8:05 p.m. | People in vehicles waiting in traffic on southbound U.S. Highway 71 at westbound I-470 told KSHB 41 that they’ve been waiting in line at that interchange for four hours.

KC SCOUT

UPDATE, 7:15 p.m. | It's time to stay off the roads for the rest of the evening.

UPDATE, 7:10 p.m. | Roads continue to be a problem across the Kansas City area. Parts of Interstate 29 in the Northland. Parts of Interstate 35 and 69 Highway are closed in Overland Park. The Missouri Department of Transportation says it best in this post: DO NOT TRAVEL.

Kansas City, Missouri, City Manager Brian Platt says crews continue to work to keep KCMO streets driveable.

UPDATE, 6:45 p.m. | KSHB 41 News reporter Elyse Schoenig was able to make it up to Kansas City International Airport Saturday to talk with travelers who were delayed by icy conditions. She filed a report in the video player below.

UPDATE, 6:15 p.m. | During his 6 p.m. live shot, KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa came upon a jackknifed semi and dozens of other semis struggling with icy conditions. Take a look in the video player below.

UPDATE, 5:45 p.m. | KSHB 41 News viewer Brooklyn White sent in video of cars that slid off parts of U.S. 69 Highway near 95th Street Saturday in Overland Park. Take a look in the video player below.

UPDATE, 5:30 p.m. | We wanted to post the latest weather forecast video from KSHB 41's Wes Peery:

UPDATE, 5:20 p.m. | Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas says airfield operations have resumed. KSHB 41 News has confirmed the Chiefs are in the air and en route to Denver.

UPDATE, 5 p.m. | KSHB 41 News reporter Elyse Schoenig was making her way to Kansas City International Airport Saturday and came across a charter bus struggling to navigate icy conditions on an interstate overpass. Take a look at her video in the player below:

UPDATE, 4:45 p.m. | Kansas City, Missouri, City Manager Brian Platt posted on X that crews hope to resume airfield operations shortly after 5 p.m.

UPDATE, 4:20 p.m. | A big thanks to Gracie Fudge, who was kind enough to share this video she took earlier today of a semi-truck driver skillfully avoiding cars as the truck slid along U.S. Highway 71 near Interstate 435 in Kansas City, Missouri.

UPDATE, 4:05 p.m. | KSHB 41's Wes Peery has a weather update as icy conditions have hit roadways and slowed operations at Kansas City International Airport.

UPDATE, 4 p.m. | Icy conditions at Kansas City International Airport have delayed travelers, including the Kansas City Chiefs.

UPDATE, 3:45 p.m. | We captured this video of KCFD crews working a crash involving two semis on Interstate 435 near 63rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. You can see cars on the other side of the interstate barely moving and using their flashers.

UPDATE, 3:35 p.m. | The region's traffic mess continues.

UPDATE, 3:20 p.m. | The southbound lanes of US 69 Highway at 103rd Street in Overland Park are closed. It’s a sheet of ice. Crashes are starting to pile up elsewhere across Kansas City as well.

UPDATE, 3:10 p.m. | The KC Scout traffic map shows several crashes and motorists crawling along the highway at very slow speeds.

KC SCOUT

UPDATE, 3:05 p.m. | Kansas City, Missouri, City Manager Brian Platt reports area highways are becoming tricky and advises motorists to stay on local streets.

UPDATE, 2:55 p.m. | Officials at Kansas City International Airport have closed airfield operations as of 2:45 p.m. due to the rapid accumulation of ice.

UPDATE, 2:50 p.m. | Lawrence police posted this video of motorists struggling to make it up a road this afternoon.

UPDATE, 2:40 p.m. | We have several updates to pass along as road conditions have started to deteriorate around the Kansas City area.

Lawrence police report slick conditions have led to slide-offs.

Police in Lenexa are also starting to report slick road conditions.

In Overland Park, police have activated their walk-in protocol for non-injury crashes.

UPDATE, 2:30 p.m. | Several counties in the KSHB 41 viewing area, including Clay and Platte in Missouri and Leavenworth in Kansas, are now part of a blizzard warning until 3 a.m. Monday.

KSHB

UPDATE, 2:25 p.m. | Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputies are reporting very slick conditions on highways and roads as of 2 p.m.

K-10 is currently shut down near the Clinton Parkway exit for a crash involving injuries.

UPDATE, 1:40 p.m. | The following Overland Park facilities will close at 3 p.m. Saturday and will be closed on Sunday:

• Matt Ross Community Center
• Tomahawk Ridge Community Center
• Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens and LongHouse Visitor Center
• St. Andrews Golf Club
• Sykes/Lady Overland Park Golf Club
• Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex

UPDATE, 1:30 p.m. | A spokesperson with the City of Olathe told KSHB 41 that they have crews working 12-hour shifts 24 hours a day until the storm is completed.

Major roadways and collector streets will be first priority for crews to maintain emergency routes.

The city will have 128 total staff members working on this storm.

UPDATE, 12:40 p.m. | The Kansas Highway Patrol reports deteriorating conditions on Interstate 70 near Abilene in central Kansas.

UPDATE, 12:20 p.m. | All library locations in Kansas City, Kansas, are planning to close today at 1 p.m.

UPDATE, 11:30 a.m. | We're not seeing any major incidents on the roadways across the immediate Kansas City area, though the National Weather Service in Topeka is reporting some trouble spots on roads there.

UPDATE, 10:30 a.m. | Jeff Penner just wrapped up a quick weather update from the studio. Watch in the video player below:

UPDATE, 10 a.m. | You know the forecast is getting interesting when weather personality Jim Cantore is in town.

UPDATE, 9:45 a.m. | We just received word that the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence will close at 2 p.m. today due to the forecast. The library has already announced it will be closed on Sunday.

UPDATE, 9:30 a.m. | Douglas County, Kansas, Emergency Management reports areas of freezing drizzle moved into the area around 9 a.m.

Elsewhere in Kansas, the National Weather Service in Wichita reported area law enforcement there responding to several automobile crashes Saturday morning.

UPDATE, 9 a.m. | Yesterday's live weather updates blog contained lots of great information about how Kansas Citians were gearing up for the storm. Here's a link to get caught up.