Christmas Eve travel could be hazardous today. The weather service says it’s raining in southern Missouri, with temperatures above freezing as the day starts. But a cold front is right behind that front and the rain will turn into snow as the storm moves southwest to northeast. An inch or so of snow is expected.
Northwest and western Missouri will see more snow. A winter weather advisory is in effect until mid-morning for northwest and western Missouri, with two or three inches of snow expected with falling temperatures during the day.
The winter weather advisory lasts until the middle of the day in northeast and central Missouri, with three to five inches of snow expected in the northeast; an inch or two in the central.
At least three traffic fatalities are blamed on icy roads. Two people have been killed on Interstate 35 in a two-vehicle crash. A third person has died in a three-vehicle crash north of Houston. Road conditions are blamed in those two crashes as well as in dozens of less serious crashes yesterday and last night.
The Missouri Department of Transportation has road conditions on its Web site.