South Kansas City is getting snow on Monday. How much remains to be seen, but most likely not as much as north of the Missouri River, according to the U.S. National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill. Regardless, area municipalities are prepped for this winter’s first snowfall.
Forecast
Snow in the amount of 1-4 inches is expected to fall between 9 and 5 pm on Monday, according to today’s update by the National Weather Service. Higher amounts are possible north of the Missouri River. Late afternoon and evening commutes will feel the impact of the snow most. “Remember to slow down and put more distance between you and the car ahead of you,” warns the Weather Service.
Kansas City
Kansas City’s Snow Team has been practicing for snow since October, training an additional 107 employees. Over 6,000 miles of road will be cleared by 103 snow plows and 300 trucks. In addition to plowing, the vehicles will be treating the roads. Kansas City is stocked with 36,500 tons of salt, 11,000 tons of Ice Ban, 51,000 gallons of salt brine and 26,000 gallons
Residential streets will be plowed curb to curb, as opposed to a single pass, which was the previous method.
Every snow removal driver in the city uses a tablet equipped with snow removal software that shows their entire route, including street priority and recent plow activity.
Trash and recycling services are suspended during big storms. The trash and recycling drivers become part of the Snow Team.
Leawood
The City of Leawood will have two shifts–early morning shift and noon–to help clear 447 lane miles of roadway, 388 cul-de-sacs, and 30 bridges. Leawood is stocked with roughly 7,000 tons of salt..
To keep traffic moving safely, the city is divided into 10 snow districts, with a priority system that guides how plows move through the community:
- First Priority: Arterial Roads – These major routes, including 95th Street, 119th Street, and Mission Road, are treated continuously until clear.
- Second Priority: Collector Streets – These streets, such as Manor Road, 105th Street, and 121st Street, connect neighborhoods to arterial routes. Crews move to these areas once arterials are passable.
- Third Priority: Local Residential Streets, Cul-de-sacs – Plowing in neighborhoods begins after First and Second Priority streets are cleared.
- Hot Spots – Steep hills, bridges, and other known trouble spots are treated throughout the storm.
Property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks next to their property.
Updates can be found at leawood.org/snow.
Grandview
Grandview Public Works will respond to this first snow of the season with two 12-hour shifts for around-the-clock plowing and treatment.
The first shift will report at 6 am on Monday to begin pretreating bridges, hills, and known slick spots with salt and brine. When the snow accumulation becomes plowable, crews will concentrate on the outer roads and the snow route which includes arterial streets.
The night shift will report at 4 pm to give a two-hour overlap between shifts.
Residential streets will be plowed last and once the snow stops.
Belton
Belton is prepared for over 277 miles of lanes to plow and treat with 15 trucks and 2000 lbs of salt and 10,000 lbs of salt brine.
Belton has 10 snow routes, but higher-volume, safety- sensitive areas are the highest priority:
- Emergency Snow Routes/Primary – Thoroughfares and main collectors, these roadways are considered to be the highest priority and shall be completed first during plowing operations.
- Residential – Streets and cul-de-sacs not classified as an emergency snow route or primary route will be completed after emergency snow routes/primary routes are cleared. Depending upon the amount of snow and funding, City Staff may utilize outside resources to assist clearing cul-de-sacs.
Raymore
Raymore has 12 trucks responsible for the snow removal of approximately 350 lane miles of city streets.
Plowing starts as soon as snow depth reaches more than one inch of accumulations. Salt brine is applied to roadways before a snow event begins.
City streets have been divided into three zones that each have three trucks plowing at any given time. First priority is given to roadways designated as emergency snow routes or primary thoroughfares. Road crews will then move on to plowing secondary priority collector streets and progressing through the route priorities as found here , with the lowest traveled residential streets and cul-de-sacs receiving service last.
Raymore recommends shoveling all driveway snow (especially closer to the street) to the right side of your driveway when facing the street to ensure it isn’t redeposited in your driveway by plows.
State Highways
The Missouri Department of Transportation recommends checking road conditions before heading out: traveler.modot.org.
In Kansas, road conditions can be found at kandrive.gov.