UPDATES | Power restoration for Evergy customers could stretch into Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City area is navigating the impacts of a significant storm that's battered the region with rain and gusty winds.

Check back throughout the morning for the latest updates.

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UPDATE, 3:50 p.m. | Evergy crews have made considerable progress in restoring power to the bulk of the 190,000 customers lost power due to last night's wicked wind storm.

As of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, just under 10,000 customers remained without power, with some of the hardest-hit areas coming across Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, St. Joseph and Shawnee.

The utility says it has more than 1,000 employees working 16-hour shifts to restore power.

Evergy says customers without power in Atchison, Lawrence, Topeka, Shawnee, Leavenworth, Wichita and Emporia should see their power back Wednesday night. A group of customers in Blue Springs, the Northland, Mound City and Platte City can expect their power back on by late Thursday morning. The utility says customers in St. Joseph, Lee's Summit and parts of the Kansas City area south of the river may not have power restored until Thursday night.

"All available Evergy crews are in the field working on outage restoration and contractors have been called in to assist," the utility said. "Blizzard winds and road conditions will slow down restoration."

The Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City, Kansas, reports roughly 500 customers remained without power as of 3:45 p.m., down from several thousand earlier Wednesday.

Roughly 1,300 customers were without power Wednesday afternoon in the Independence Power and Light service territory.

About two dozen customers remained without power late Wednesday afternoon in the Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative.

12:15 p.m. | An Olathe Public Schools spokesperson told KSHB 41 the district's two-hour delay decision was not based on "significant bus route delays this morning due to road conditions" nor the "shortage of available bus drivers due to winter weather." Instead, the district said its decision was based on a "variety of factors," including "temperature, precipitation, wind speed, wind chill, road and sidewalk conditions, etc."

"All conditions and variables are closely monitored by district leadership," the spokesperson shared.

Noon | Several updates to get to with this entry.

First, the National Weather Service has canceled the high wind warning that had been in effect across the region.

A wind advisory has been issued to replace the canceled high wind warning. The wind advisory is set to run through 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Sustained northwest winds from 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, are possible.

As of 11:30 a.m., area utility providers have been making progress in restoring power even as wind gusts and slick roads hamper crews.

Evergy reports just more than 20,000 customers without power across its territory. Most are in the Kansas City area. In a message on its outage map, the utility said the ongoing gusts could lead to additional outages throughout the day.

"You may see Evergy vehicles driving around your area before power is restored," Evergy said. "These are our damage assessment teams and they evaluate storm damage while crews work elsewhere. This means that the line crews can arrive in your area with the necessary equipment, helping with an overall faster power restoration."

Progress is also reported with the Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City, Kansas. The number of customers without power is now just under 3,000.

11:15 a.m. | Here's the latest forecast update from KSHB 41's Cassie Wilson:

11 a.m. | The city of Kansas City said trash services will not be impacted Wednesday.

"Everything is operating as normal," a city spokesperson shared.

10:20 a.m. | Evergy reported 29,211 customers without power just after 10:15 a.m.

The utility posted a message on its outage map explaining high winds and road conditions are affecting restoration efforts.

9:10 a.m. | KCI has re-opened the east-west runway. Air travel can now resume.

8:45 a.m. | Once we're through the morning rush hour and schools open up, power outages are likely to be a significant issue today.

Across its entire system, Evergy reports more than 31,000 customers without power. Most of those are in the Kansas City area.

The Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City, Kansas, has seen power outage numbers continue to increase this morning. Those numbers now stand at 8,350 customers.

Independence Power and Light reports roughly 530 customers without power.

8:20 a.m. | Marlon says some events around the Big 12 basketball tournament have been impacted by the weather.

7:55 a.m. | Grant says many interstates and highways are better for motorists, but side streets, parking lots and sidewalks can still be treacherous.

7:45 a.m. | Officials at the Kansas City International Airport say they are temporarily closing the airfield for about 30 minutes to clear ice and snow from the runway.

Check with your airline for individual flight delays.

7:40 a.m. | Roughly 30,000 Evergy and BPU customers are without power this morning.

7:30 a.m. | KSHB 41's Daniela Leon spotted this overturned semi on K-10 Highway near Renner Road in Lenexa.

7:20 a.m. | The northbound lanes of Interstate 29 are blocked at Main Street in Platte City due to a jack-knifed semi.

7 a.m. | Downed power lines are blocking Missouri Highway 58 down in Raymore, according to the city.

6:51 a.m. | KSHB 41 traffic anchor Daniela Leon reports heavy congestion on I-35 between Kearney and Liberty.

6:50 a.m. | The northbound and southbound lanes of I-35 are both closed between Highway 291 and Highway 152 due to accidents.

6:40 a.m. | MoDOT lists multiple closures on metro roadways.

6:05 a.m. | The blizzard warning has ended, but the metro is included in a winter weather advisory until 9 a.m. due to lingering effects on roads and winds gusting as high as 50 mph.

5:40 a.m. | FanFest and pep rallies at the Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship are canceled for today. Tournament games are being held as scheduled.

5:35 a.m. | Officers and Evergy have cleared the roadway on westbound I-435. Eastbound I-435 is still closed at Roe due to downed power lines that caused a crash earlier this morning.

5:10 a.m. | More schools are starting to close or delay start times. See the full list here.

4:50 a.m. | I-49 southbound at 150 Highway is closed due to a crash.

4:30 a.m. | Evergy reports more than 66,000 customers without power this morning. Another 3,200 customers are without power in BPU's service territory.

4:20 a.m. | Overland Park police say I-435 at Nall will likely be closed 2-4 hours due to the earlier crash.

4:10 a.m. | Some flights are canceled out of Kansas City International Airport this morning.

4:05 a.m. | KSHB 41 meteorologist Lindsey Anderson says roads are slippery as temperatures drop.

3:05 a.m. | Eastbound and westbound I-435 at Roe is shut down. The Overland Park Police Department says a power line across the highway was struck by a semi-truck.

The power line pulled down multiple lines onto the highway as well. Police say there were minor injuries.

Traffic is being diverted westbound at State Line and eastbound at Nall.

KC Scout

Steve Silvestri

2:15 a.m. | The Overland Park Fire Department says one woman suffered minor smoke inhalation after a fire near 89th and Craig overnight. OPFD believes the fire may have started from a downed power line, but the cause is under investigation.

2 a.m. | Thousands of people are currently without power in the Kansas City metro area. Click here to access the latest Evergy outage map.

1 a.m. | The National Weather Service says some of the strongest wind gusts were reported just before midnight near St. Joseph, Missouri, and Jarbalo, Kansas.