Dangerous cold with record-breaking temperatures keeps Kansas City in deep freeze

Robert A. Cronkleton, The Kansas City Star on Feb 19, 2025

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Record-breaking cold weather will continue in Kansas City as an arctic blast lingers across the area on Wednesday — with the coldest temperatures yet to come.

The metro set a new record for the coldest high temperature for Feb. 18 when temperatures on Tuesday reached 4 degrees. The previous record for that date was 11 degrees, set in 1936.

The metro could set another record with temperatures expected to reach only 9 degrees on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The coldest high temperature for Feb. 19 is 11 degrees, set in 1929.

The coldest temperatures will be Thursday morning, when the metro drops to 9 degrees below zero, breaking the record low temperature for Feb. 20 of 2 degrees set in 1918.

Kansas City temperatures typically are around 45 degrees during the day and 25 degrees overnight.

Because of the dangerously cold weather, Kansas City and surrounding areas are under a cold weather advisory until noon Thursday.

The weather service said that wind chills as low as 25 degrees below zero are possible, which could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, portions of northwest Missouri are under an extreme cold warning., with wind chills as low as 30 degrees below zero expected.

Warmer weather in forecast for Kansas City

Warmer weather is coming, but Friday will remain quite chilly, reaching 23 degrees.

Weather conditions will allow temperatures to rebound over the weekend.

“And rebound they will,” the weather service said.

Temperatures will finally peak above freezing Saturday afternoon, the weather service said. The metro’s temperature will remain below average, climbing to only 37 degrees.

But on Sunday, temperatures will reach close to 50 degrees.

Even warmer weather is expected next week, with temperatures climbing into the upper 50s to near 60s on Monday and Tuesday.

The next chance for precipitation is likely on Wednesday, but with the warmer weather, it will be rain.