As winter 2025 draws near, residents of Missouri and Kansas are wondering what’s in store. Long-term forecasts are always a bit of a crapshoot, but some predictions are starting to roll in.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a pretty mild winter in Missouri, with snow flurries possibly even making an appearance on Christmas, according to FOX2. Things might get wet by the end of the year, though, with flurries turning to rain and then snow by year’s end. Their rivals at the Farmers’ Almanac, on the other hand, are predicting a wild ride of a winter, with a “wet winter whirlwind” with rapid-fire storms of both rain and snow.
According to KSHB 41 Action News, temperatures are expected to be around average during December, January, and February in the Kansas City area. The station relies on the weather model developed by Gary Lezak, founder of Weather 20/20 and former KSHB-TV Chief Meteorologist. Named the LRC, for Lezak’s Recuring Cycle, the model says a pattern develops each year that can accuately predict weather fronts and storms for about 10 months or more. Lezak is expected to announce the data backing this season’s forecast in the next week. The model has proven extremely accurate in past years.
KCTV 5 News reports they will provide more specific forecasts as we get closer to winter.
In Kansas, the National Weather Service thinks things will be warmer than usual from November through early January, at least in the Wichita area. The Farmers’ Almanac is also seeing a warmer winter for Kansas, but with less precipitation and snow than usual earlier in the season. If you’re hoping for a good snowfall it will likely come in late January and early February.
A few bigger weather trends could also shake things up. Forecasters are expecting a La Niña event to develop this fall and stick around through the winter, which usually means more storms tracking through the Midwest, and potentially a lot more precipitation, according to NOAA. El Niño years, on the other hand, tend to bring drier, warmer weather to the Midwest. But La Niña can lead to those really cold snaps and big snowfalls, according to the NBC Chicago.
Of course, the best way to know what’s really coming to Missouri and Kansas is to keep an eye on those forecasts as we get closer to winter. Things can change a lot between now and then!
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice