“Winter’s Grip: Stunning Images Capture Ice Storm Chaos Across Central US”

FOX Weather Exclusive Storm Tracker Mark Sudduth reported from Wichita, Kansas, where a layer of freezing rain has started to create slick, icy conditions. Jan. 4, 2025.

A mix of freezing rain and ice began to blanket surfaces in Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri on Saturday, resulting in perilous travel circumstances on highways and at airports. 

Troopers indicated that they responded to numerous collisions, with interstates like I-35 and I-70 displaying the most severe effects.

“I-70 – Salinas, Saline, Dickinson, Lincoln, Russell County — all those areas on I-70 are experiencing significant accidents,” stated Ben Gardner, a trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol. He mentioned that there were multiple jackknifed trucks and multi-vehicle crashes west of Topeka.

“The volume of calls coming in is considerable,” Gardner said. “Please, please, please, remain at home.”

Local authorities anticipated conditions to worsen as temperatures fell and precipitation expanded in both coverage and intensity.

WINTER STORM ENDANGERS NEARLY 60 MILLION ACROSS 27 STATES WITH SEVERE SNOW AND DEVASTATING ICE

At the Kansas City metropolitan area, ice at the local international airport led to the suspension of operations for inbound and outbound flights around 2:50 p.m. local time, with services not resuming for several hours.

“Teams have effectively treated the airfield surfaces, and the runways and taxiways at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) are available for flight operations. Efforts will continue overnight to maintain the airfield’s clarity,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas shared on social media Saturday night.

However, the impact on punctual air travel had already taken place, with approximately 150 flights either delayed or canceled on Saturday.

Ice forecast map

(FOX Weather)

Prior to the impacts, major airlines including Delta, United, Southwest, and American were permitting travelers to modify their itineraries, yet thousands attempted to leave town before the adverse weather arrived.

Players and personnel from the Kansas City Chiefs were among those delayed at MCI until runways were officially cleared by aviation officials.

It was anticipated that the travel delays would not disrupt a Sunday afternoon game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.

WINTER STORM LIVE TRACKER: SNOWFALL MAPS, CURRENT ALERTS, WEATHER WARNINGS, ICE FORECASTS, POWER OUTAGES

Despite the effects at airports and on highways, early accumulations were insufficient to lead to widespread power disruptions on Saturday. 

PowerOutage.us noted that there were fewer than 2,000 outages across the area, but the FOX Forecast Center cautioned that conditions were likely to decline through Sunday.

Close to 1 million residents spanning southern Missouri to Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky were under an Ice Storm Warning, where accumulations were predicted to be problematic.

Ice accumulation levels below a tenth of an inch are typically deemed a nuisance, while those exceeding a quarter of an inch can potentially damage branches and power lines.