Wintry weather continues to impact Missouri

Little snow accumulation expected in Jefferson City, Columbia and Lake areas

Updated for overnight:

A strong December storm system has brought a wide variety of hazardous weather to the nation's midsection, the National Weather Service (NWS) reports.

The tricky part for Mid-Missouri travelers is that some areas stayed near the freezing mark through Saturday evening, with roads only wet, especially where treated. However, the potential for ice sticking to roads exists, especially as one travels farther north.

On the cold side of the storm a dangerous mix of winter weather produced ice accumulations of up to one-half inch from northern and central Missouri into west-central Illinois, while significant amounts of snow and sleet will accumulate from parts of west-central to northeast Missouri into eastern Iowa.

Anyone planning to travel through these areas should carefully monitor the latest forecasts and road conditions. (See links below.)

The NWS issued a Winter Storm Warning in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday for an area that includes Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Osage, Maries, Miller and Morgan counties. Freezing rain is possible throughout the night, then eventually changing to snow by 5 a.m.

Some areas in southern regions of this zone, where temperatures hovered on or near the freezing mark during evening hours, have experienced rain or melting precipitation, but the potential for periods of freezing rain continues through the night across counties along and north of U.S. 54. (See current radar via link below.)

Snowfall amounts will be greatest in north-central and northeast Missouri, with lighter amounts farther south. Light snow or flurries may fall Sunday for the areas around the cities of Jefferson City, Columbia, Fulton, California and Lake Ozark.

Meanwhile, on the warm side of the storm, which generally remained south of Interstate 44, heavy rain produced flooding from southeast Missouri into southern Illinois. MoDOT reports numerous roads closed in southeast Missouri due to high water. (See travelers info map linked below.)

Weather resources:

Mid-Missouri forecast, radar, advisories

MoDOT traveler information map

Video report:

National Weather Service multimedia weather briefing

NWS Advisory:

The National Weather Service issued the following statment, valid for Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Osage, Maries, Miller and Morgan counties, including Jefferson City, Columbia and Camdenton:

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY...

  • TIMING... FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. THE FREEZING RAIN WILL EVENTUALLY CHANGE TO SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
  • ACCUMULATIONS... SNOW ACCUMULATION OF ONE INCH OR LESS... ALONG WITH TWO TENTHS TO ONE HALF OF AN INCH OF ICE.
  • WINDS...NORTH 5 TO 10 MPH.
  • IMPACTS...FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE UNTREATED ROADS TO BECOME SLICK... ESPECIALLY BRIDGES... OVERPASSES AND OTHER ELEVATED ROADWAYS. SNOW ON TOP OF THE ICE WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS THAT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SNOW... SLEET AND/OR ICE IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

Utility resources online:

Ameren Missouri outage map

@AmerenMissouri on Twitter

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Boone Electric Cooperative

@BooneElectric on Twitter

Boone Electric on Facebook

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Callaway Electric Cooperative

@CallawayElec on Twitter

Callaway Electric on Facebook

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Co-Mo Electric Cooperative

@CoMoElectric on Twitter

Co-Mo Electric on Facebook

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Fulton Municipal Utilities

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Three Rivers Electric Cooperatve

Three Rivers Electric on Facebook

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Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (statewide updates)

AMEC on Facebook