Blizzard — Platte, Missouri

2025-01-05 to 2025-01-06 · Platte, Missouri

Event narrative

The ASOS at Kansas City International Airport began reporting quarter mile or worse visibility with wind gusts up to 35 mph and snow/blowing snow at the 7:53 am observation on Jan 5th. By the 10 am observation, the visibility had improved to half a mile. However, quarter mile or worse visibility returned by the 12 pm observation, and continued around 3:30 pm. Thus, blizzard criteria was met for about 5.5 hours. Up to 14 of snow was reported in Platte County, with 11 reported at the KC International Airport.

Wider weather episode

On January 4, 2025, a potent mid latitude extratropical cyclone began impacting the region. First, this brought freezing drizzle to the area on the afternoon and evening hours of Jan 4th, with major impacts to roadways across the KC metro. Freezing rain transitioned to sleet, and then finally snow late evening on the 4th and into the morning hours of the 5th. Heavy snow paired with wind gusts up to 35 to 40 mph yielded blizzard conditions across the region. Snow finally came to an end from west to east late Sunday (Jan 5th) night into early Monday (Jan 6th) morning.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1222152. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.