E-mail
Print
ST. LOUIS — Winter weather made a cameo return to Missouri on Monday, interrupting an unusually mild and dry winter with blustery conditions and snow that made roads slick, caused numerous wrecks and prompted class cancellations in hundreds of school districts.
By midday, 1 to 3 inches of snow had fallen in western and central parts of the state, and wind gusts of up to 20 mph were adding to the problem. Snow was only beginning to fall in the St. Louis area by late morning, with the National Weather Service predicting 2 to 4 inches in the St. Louis region by the time the snow stops late Monday or early Tuesday.
- Vehicles head east on Ash Street during the morning commute Monday. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory, predicting 1 to 3 inches of snow for Columbia and 2 to 4 inches in other parts of mid-Missouri.
Weather Service meteorologist Ben Miller said this winter is on pace to be the sixth mildest on record for St. Louis, and snowfall has been below average, too.
"This is a rude reminder that we are still in winter," he said.
Winter weather advisories were in place throughout the state Monday, though some were being canceled in the western portions as the snow moved eastward.
The Missouri Department of Transportation said the snow created slick, messy conditions. Several wrecks were reported, including a fatal accident along Interstate 64 at Lake Saint Louis in St. Charles County. It wasn't immediately clear if the weather was to blame, but all westbound lanes were closed following the wreck.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and local police agencies said cars, trucks and semis slid off roads around Kansas City, St. Joseph and Springfield. Most of the wrecks were fender-benders, but one person had to be extracted from a car following a wreck in Columbia.
In the Kansas City area, a number of cars slid off icy Highway 92 west of Tracy. Clay County authorities also reported a number of slide-offs.
Road crews and police were concerned that slushy roads could refreeze overnight, creating another round of dangerous driving.
But the rest of the week shapes up as a return to above-average temperatures, with highs in the 40s rising to around 50 degrees by the weekend. Parts of the state could see rain in the middle of the week.
"The snow on the ground certainly isn't going to last long," Miller said.
Show Me the Errors 
Comments