A historic winter storm came down on Platte County and much of the Midwest over the weekend.
Winter Storm Blair started earlier than anticipated Saturday, with freezing rain causing roadways to turn into skating rinks by late Saturday. Notable accidents include a Kansas City salt truck that flipped over at Interstate 29 at Tiffany Springs Parkway.
At Kansas City International, operations ceased for a few hours due to rapid ice accumulation and the Kansas City Chiefs charter plane to Denver was delayed on the runway.
The ice turned to snow late Saturday and continued all day Sunday, dumping up to a foot – a bit more in some areas. Some areas even experienced thunder snow during the blizzard, Kansas City’s first official blizzard since 2018.
Businesses, including big box stores and grocery stories, across the metro area either closed early or simply stayed closed for the duration of the storm.
Kansas City International Airport reported a total of 11 inches Sunday, which is the fourth-largest single-day snowfall in Kansas City’s history. The record snow was 16.1 inches in March of 1912.
The Missouri Highway Patrol reported 2,084 calls for service over the weekend state-wide including 1,043 stranded motorists, 356 crashes, 31 injuries and one fatality. The Missouri National Guard assisted them in reaching stranded motorists.
Most government offices were closed Monday, with many businesses still shuttered until plows had a chance to clear the roads.
The snow will stick around for a while, as bitterly cold temperatures followed in the storm’s wake. Due to the road conditions and extreme cold, schools were closed Monday and Tuesday, with districts implementing distance learning days.
More snow is expected later this week.