Moniteau County was not untouched by the record-breaking "blizzard to remember" which swept across the nation. According to constant reports before, during and after the event, the blizzard covered 2,100 miles.
With snow actually falling at a rate of two to three inches per hour, predictions of the amount of snow to be expected continued to increase as the storm came through. Remarkably, the high estimates were close.
Although the drifts made it hard to determine how much snow actually fell, it appears the California area ended up with somewhere between 15 and 19 inches. Drifts of five or six feet were not uncommon with a few rural residents reporting drifts nearing 10 feet.
Schools and some businesses closed early on Monday as the storm began with freezing rain. On Tuesday, those who started out before 6:30 a.m. didn't have all that much trouble getting around. But anyone who waited till 7 a.m. found the city streets slick. By 8 a.m. many streets were impassible except by four-wheel drive and visibility was low. Most businesses, including the California Democrat, were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Most local day cares closed early on Tuesday and remained closed Wednesday. They reopened Thursday.
The California City Hall opened Tuesday morning but closed early. Two people made it in on Wednesday. On Thursday, the full staff was in.
The Moniteau County Courthouse was closed Tuesday and Wednesday, re-opening Thursday.
The California Post Office had no mail deliveries on Wednesday, and deliveries were hampered Thursday. On Friday, however, postal workers said it was possible to reach all but 10 rural mail boxes.
Statewide, Governor Jay Nixon declared a blizzard emergency for the state. I-70 was closed from Kansas City to St. Louis and many other roads throughout the state were either impassable or barely passable.
Nationwide, the storm swept on past Missouri and headed northeast, bringing snow and cold the entire distance.
As the city, county, state and country all began digging out, the continuing cold weather prevented much melting of the snow and ice. Then there was an additional three inches on Friday bringing our total for the winter to more than 30 inches.
Since about four inches of snow covered Dallas, Texas, hindering highway traffic and cancelling some flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, going to the Superbowl on Sunday, Feb. 6, was questionable for many.
With additional snow predicted for this week, the winter of 2010-11 will be one to tell the grandchildren about.
For more great photos and stories check out the Feb. 9 issue of the California Democrat.