Update: Freezing drizzle could precede snow as winter storm bears down on Kansas City

Drizzle or freezing drizzle might precede snowfall as a winter storm pushes its way into Kansas City overnight, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Kansas City said Wednesday.

The impacts of any drizzle or freezing drizzle are expected to be minimal, but the weather service will keep a close watch on it, Jonathan Kurtz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said during an afternoon storm briefing.

Not much has changed with the forecast: Bitter cold with near blizzard and white out conditions are still expected. Travel is expected to be hazardous, especially Thursday morning. And wind chills that plunge as low as 35 degrees below zero are possible.

The weather service has made a few slight tweaks to the forecast, including snowfall totals it is expecting. Between two and three inches of snow is expected across much of the Kansas City area, although some areas could see between three and four inches of snow.

Because of the winds, it will be difficult to get accurate snowfall totals because there will be blowing snow across the area.

As for the timing of the storm, snow is expected to begin sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight Wednesday across northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas, Kurtz said.

In the Kansas City metro area, and along a line stretching to Kirksville, the snow is expected to begin falling between midnight and 3 a.m. Thursday. For central Missouri and down towards the Lake of the Ozarks region, snow is expected to start between 3 and 6 a.m. Thursday.

The bulk of the snow will fall during the rush hour, primarily between 5 and 9 a.m., he said.

Because this winter weather system is a quick moving one, snow will end fairly quickly — between 4 and 8 a.m. in northwest Missouri, mid- to late morning in Kansas City and noon and 4 p.m. for central Missouri and the Lake of the Ozarks area.

Although the snow might end, blowing snow will continue to make travel hazardous in the area because of reduced visibility.

Temperatures are expected to plummet as the storm moves through the area. The warmest part of the day on Thursday will be just after midnight and temperatures will dive to a few degrees below zero. Friday will be no warmer, with conditions in the single digits. Wind chills near 30 degrees below zero are possible both Thursday and Friday in Kansas City.

It will be slightly warmer on Saturday, with temperatures climbing into the teens. Below zero wind chills are expected Saturday morning.

On Christmas Day, temperatures are expected be even warmer, but they will still remain below freezing.

Several schools and government agencies have announced closures in anticipation of the storm and Kansas City homeless shelters are gearing up for more people as the temperatures plunge.