On the morning of January 12, 2018 temperatures across Kansas City dropped to the single digits, but light northwest winds contributed to wind chill values across the city dropping to 11 degrees below zero. As a result of the cold at least one homeless person died.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS EAX wrote it up.
On the morning of January 12, 2018 temperatures across Kansas City dropped to the single digits, but light northwest winds contributed to wind chill values across the city dropping to 11 degrees below zero. As a result of the cold at least one homeless person died.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Kansas City, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 11, 10:51 PM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Kansas City/Pleasant Hill MO 1051 PM CST Thu Jan 11 2018 .Discussion... Issued at 211 PM CST THU JAN 11 2018 The cold front is well through the forecast area as of early this afternoon, with temperatures steadily falling into the teens and 20s. The greatest impacts thus far have been along and northwest of a line from Olathe - MKC - Liberty - Chillicothe - Unionville. In these areas, a combination of sleet, snow, freezing rain, and flash freezing have resulted in hazardous conditions, especially on untreated roadways and walkways. A decaying band of snow has shifted into the KC Metro Area and will produce additional snowfall amounts on the order of a couple tenths of an inch before it shifts eastward and dissipates. Further to the east, light scattered wintry mix precipitation in the form of sleet, freezing drizzle, and snow flurries will continue through late-afternoon before shifting to the east. Impacts from this appear to be somewhat limited, in part to the later arrival of sub-freezing air and warm road temperatures in the 30s, timed with the earlier moderate precipitation. As for the winter wx advisory, the northwest section will be allowed to expire at 3pm as the bulk of new accumulating precipitation will have shifted to the east. Will issue a SPS shortly to highlight concern for black ice, slick roads, especially across untreated/secondary roadways, this afternoon into the morning commute. Thereafter, skies will begin to clear from west to east this evening into midnight, and along with strong cold air advection, will set up a chilly night with lows primarily in the single digits by sunrise. While wind speeds will gradually relax through the night, northwest winds will still persist between 10 to 15 mph. This will provide very cold wind chills between 5 below zero over central Missouri to near 15 below zero near the Iowa border. Cold air with below normal temperatures will remain in place through much of the extended forecast with highs largely in the teens and 20s. Wind chill, feel-like temperatures, through the period will occasionally be dangerously cold at night into the early morning hours. Models have been persistent in bringing an upper wave to the region on Sunday, with some potential for light snowfall accumulations. && .Aviation...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Friday Night) Issued at 1051 PM CST THU JAN 11 2018 VFR conditions are expected through the TAF period. Clear skies will gradually be replaced by midlevel stratus building in from the west Friday evening, with bases between 7-10 kft. Winds will remain out of the NNW to N, at speeds between 10-15 kts and with occasional gusts to 20-25 kts that will become less frequent by daybreak. && .EAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. MO...NONE. && Discussion...Blair Aviation...Laflin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Kansas City/Pleasant Hill MO 445 AM CST Thu Jan 11 2018 KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040- 043>046-053-054-121045- Atchison KS-Miami-Linn KS-Doniphan-Leavenworth-Wyandotte-Johnson KS- Atchison MO-Nodaway-Worth-Gentry-Harrison-Mercer-Putnam-Schuyler- Holt-Andrew-De Kalb-Daviess-Grundy-Sullivan-Adair-Buchanan-Clinton- Caldwell-Livingston-Linn MO-Macon-Platte-Clay-Ray-Carroll-Chariton- Randolph-Jackson-Lafayette-Saline-Howard-Cass-Johnson MO-Pettis- Cooper-Bates-Henry- 445 AM CST Thu Jan 11 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for northwest...north central and west central Missouri...as well as extreme eastern Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Wintry weather is expected today. More detailed information can be accessed at... https://www.weather.gov/eax/hwo .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Hazardous weather is expected at this time. More detailed information can be accessed at... https://www.weather.gov/eax/hwo
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
718 PM CST THU JAN 11 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0717 PM SNOW WESTBORO 40.53N 95.32W
01/11/2018 E2.0 INCH ATCHISON MO PUBLIC
0716 PM SNOW 1 NE MARYVILLE 40.35N 94.87W
01/11/2018 E1.0 INCH NODAWAY MO PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL THROUGH 7 PM.
0716 PM SNOW 4 N ROCKPORT 40.47N 95.51W
01/11/2018 E4.0 INCH ATCHISON MO PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL THROUGH 7 PM.
0715 PM SNOW 6 NW CORNING 40.30N 95.55W
01/11/2018 E3.0 INCH ATCHISON MO PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL THROUGH 7 PM.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Kansas City Health Department confirmed that a homeless person died due to hypothermia. Temperatures across the area, were not considered to be extremely cold, as morning lows were in the 0 to 5 degree range, with wind chills dropping to -11 at KC International Airport.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold/Wind Chill, Jackson | 2018-01-12 | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, January 2018
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 737796.