For most people, a major snowstorm means stocking up on groceries, keeping a stack of blankets handy and maybe even a surprise day at home from work or school. But the Kansas City area’s weather response agencies have been working around the clock to clear up major highways,

Kansas City is preparing for its first big winter storm of the season. Meteorologists warn that the timing of the cold front could affect snowfall totals and ice accumulation.

The first significant winter storm of the year is endangering a 2,100-mile swath of the country from the Northwest and Plains through the mid-Atlantic and East Coast, bringing a multitude of life-threatening hazards across major metropolitan areas.