KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A winter storm set to move across the country this week could drop more than a foot of snow in parts of Missouri and Kansas and, more ominously, coat trees and power lines with freezing rain.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for most of Missouri and southern and eastern parts of Kansas starting Tuesday night and running through Thursday. Up to 14 inches (35.56 centimeters) of snow could fall in the Kansas City area and up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) around St. Louis, according to the weather service. Southwestern Kansas could see up to 8 inches (20.32 centimeters).
But forecasters are warning that it's the threat of freezing rain - up to a quarter-inch (0.64 centimeters) in southwestern Missouri - coupled with the snow and high winds that could lead to widespread power outages, even as wind chills plummet below zero overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
By Tuesday afternoon, St. Louis Lambert International Airport had canceled 120 scheduled Wednesday departures, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.com. Kansas City also was canceling more flights than usual for Wednesday.
Officials warned that travel during the storm will be treacherous, if not impossible, leading St. Louis area schools to prepare for at-home learning later in the week. The looming weather also led Missouri officials to cancel legislative sessions for Wednesday and Thursday. In Kansas City, residents learned that trash pickup had been canceled for the remainder of the week.
