See it: Freezing rain from winter storm snarls travel in central US
NOAA’s Winter Storm Severity Index was in the extreme category for parts of southern Illinois and Indiana, while a large portion of the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys was expected to experience major impacts. Unlike previous winter storms, any ice and snow that falls could remain on the ground for an extended period due to reinforcing shots of cold air behind the storm system.
Freezing weather produces dangerous conditions in Wichita
FOX Weather Exclusive Storm Tracker Mark Sudduth reported from Wichita, Kansas, where freezing rain has begun to produce slick, icy conditions. Jan. 4, 2025.
Freezing rain and ice began coating surfaces in Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri on Saturday, creating dangerous travel conditions along roadways and at airports.
Troopers reported responding to dozens of crashes, and interstates such as I-35 and I-70 appeared to be the most impacted.
"I-70 - Salinas, Saline, Dickinson, Lincoln, Russell County — all those counties on I-70 have significant crashes happening," said Ben Gardner, a trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol. Gardner said there were several jackknifed and multi-vehicle pileups west of Topeka.
"The load of calls coming in is significant," Gardner stated. "Please, please, please, stay home."
Local officials expected conditions to continue deteriorating as temperatures dropped and precipitation increased in coverage an intensity.
![Crash along I-70 in the Kansas City metro on Saturday.]()
Image 1 of 3Crash along I-70 in the Kansas City metro on Saturday. (KDOT/SCOUT)
![Sliding truck in Wichita]()
Image 2 of 3NWS Wichita on a post on X on Jan. 4, 2025: "9:25 AM: Here is an example of what we are dealing with folks! An 18-wheeler sliding sidewards! STAY HOME!" (NWS Wichita)
![Empty store shelves in Kansas City as shoppers prepare for a winter storm.]()
Image 3 of 3Empty store shelves in Kansas City as shoppers prepare for a winter storm. (@kuyaraymart)
WINTER STORM THREATENS NEARLY 60 MILLION ACROSS 27 STATES WITH HEAVY SNOW, CRIPPLING ICE
In the Kansas City metro, ice at the region’s international airport caused operations to be suspended for inbound and outbound flights around 2:50 p.m. local time, with operations not restored until several hours later.
"Crews have successfully treated airfield surfaces, and the runways and taxiways at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) are open for flight operations. Work will continue overnight to keep the airfield clear," Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas posted on social media on Saturday evening.
But the damage in terms of on-time air travel had already been done, with around 150 flights either delayed or canceled on Saturday.
Ice forecast map
(FOX Weather)
Ahead of the impacts, major carriers such as Delta, United, Southwest and American were allowing travelers to adjust their schedules, but thousands still tried their luck to make their way out of town before the hazardous weather.
Players and staff with the Kansas City Chiefs were among the many travelers delayed at MCI until runways were given the all-clear by aviation authorities.
The travel delays were not expected to interfere with a Sunday afternoon match against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.
Despite impacts at airports and on roadways, early accumulations were not significant enough to cause widespread power issues on Saturday.
PowerOutage.us reported fewer than 2,000 outages across the region, but the FOX Forecast Center warned that conditions would likely deteriorate through Sunday.
Nearly 1 million residents from southern Missouri through Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky were under an Ice Storm Warning, where amounts were expected to be problematic.
Ice accretion levels under a tenth of an inch are generally considered to be a nuisance, while amounts above a quarter of an inch can cause damage to branches and power lines.