The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis says the winter storm warning in eastern and mid-Missouri has been extended through Sunday morning.
MoDOT crews load salt into a spreader in the Kansas City district on January 11, 2019 (photo courtesy of MoDOT spokeswoman Sally Oxenhandler)
The NWS says Columbia has already received 12 to 18 inches of snowfall, making travel there very difficult. Jefferson City has received eight to 12 inches of snow.
St. Louis has received eight to 12 inches of snow, and northeast Missouri’s Bowling Green has received the same amount, according to the NWS.
The heaviest amounts of snow have been near the Interstate 70 corridor.
The NWS says snow will continue through early Sunday morning, but the snowfall intensity is expected to taper off this (Saturday) afternoon and tonight.
The NWS also warns that freezing drizzle will mix in with the remaining light snow, resulting in “light ice accumulations.”
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is using about 1,500 trucks and about 3,000 operators during the winter storm, which is impacting most of the state.
The snowplow operators are working 12-hour shifts.
The snowstorm has also caused major problems on I-44 near St. Louis.
MoDOT says eastbound I-44 in Franklin County re-opened this afternoon, after being closed for about six hours because of the storm.
MoDOT maintenance engineer Kenyon Warbitton tells Missourinet the chemical treatment is working. The area involved is eastbound I-44 at the 250-mile marker, which is near the town of Gray Summit.
Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore did live shots in that area all morning.
Warbitton is still urging Missourians not to travel today, unless necessary. He says we could see a refreeze tonight.
Governor Mike Parson (R) tweeted Saturday morning that he was “very concerned” about the situation on I-44, and he’s urging Missourians to stay off the roads until conditions improve.
The governor notes MoDOT and the Missouri State Highway Patrol need time to fight the storm. Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones tells Missourinet the governor has been receiving regular updates from the National Weather Service, the Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
MoDOT is also warning Kansas City Chiefs fans heading to today’s playoff game at Arrowhead stadium to use extreme caution. MoDOT says your trip “could take hours longer than usual.”
MoDOT says routes to Kansas City “are still covered in all directions.” The Kansas City area had already received more than seven inches of snow, by early this morning.
This afternoon’s kickoff is set for 3:35 p.m. MODOT is also concerned about Colts fans driving from Indianapolis, because Indiana and Illinois have also been impacted by the winter storm.
MoDOT maintenance engineer Todd Miller says crews from southeast Missouri’s Bootheel have been sent to hard-hit St. Louis.
The Bootheel has only received about an inch of snow, which freed up the four workers to head to St. Louis to assist.
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