Wind chill advisory continues overnight

Updated for overnight

The first round of freezing precipitation and snow on Sunday tracked farther to the south than originally forecast. Areas south of the Missouri River generally received more than other parts of central Missouri.

Wind Chill Advisories are in effect overnight for all of Mid-Missouri, but overnight snowfall is expected to impact mostly southern sections of Missouri.

The National Weather Service has issued the following advisory for southern parts of Missouri:

COUNTIES INCLUDED: MORGAN - MILLER - MARIES - CAMDEN - PULASKI - PHELPS

CITIES INCLUDED: WARSAW...COLE CAMP... VERSAILLES... ELDON... LAKE OZARK... VIENNA... OSAGE BEACH... CAMDENTON... FORT LEONARD WOOD... WAYNESVILLE... ROLLA... LEBANON... SPRINGFIELD.

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

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST MONDAY...

  • SHORT TERM TRENDS...LIGHT SNOW WAS FALLING ACROSS THE OZARKS AS THE WINTER SYSTEM MOVES OVER THE REGION. SNOW INTENSITY AND COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AS A HEAVIER BAND MOVES OUT OF OKLAHOMA AND ACROSS THE AREA. SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WHICH WILL LIMIT VISIBILITIES TO UNDER A HALF MILE AT TIMES.
  • TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED... SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT FOR AREA.
  • SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... THREE TO SIX INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA.
  • WINDS AND VISIBILITY... NORTHERLY WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH WILL RESULT IN SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW OVERNIGHT. VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN A HALF MILE AT TIMES.
  • WIND CHILL VALUES... WIND CHILL VALUES WILL REMAIN AROUND ZERO ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY. WIND CHILLS WILL FALL TO BETWEEN 10 AND 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
  • IMPACTS... TRAVEL ACROSS THE REGION HAS BECOME DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW MAY LIMIT THE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL RESULT IN A RISK FOR FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA FOR ANYONE WITHOUT PROPER SHELTER.

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.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN A STRONG WIND COMBINES WITH VERY LOW TEMPERATURES TO CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS FOR EXPOSED SKIN. THE COLD AIR AND WIND WILL MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS BETWEEN 15 AND 24 DEGREES BELOW ZERO FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THOSE PLANNING TO VENTURE OUTDOORS SHOULD USE COMMON SENSE AND DRESS WARMLY... MAKING SURE THAT ALL EXPOSED SKIN IS COVERED.

Related:

Local forecast, radar, advisories (Mobile devices here)

MoDOT Traveler Information Map

Jefferson City street conditions

Earlier report:

With the National Weather Service issuing a Winter Storm Warning through 3 a.m. Monday, the Missouri Transportation department (MoDOT) issued a "no travel advisory" starting Saturday night and extending through Sunday night.

And shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday, Gov. Jay Nixon's office announced he had activated the State Emergency Operations Center.

"State emergency management officials are working to ensure we are fully prepared for what is forecast to be a severe winter storm," Nixon reported. "Snow and freezing rain, combined with high winds, will bring hazardous conditions and potential power outages to parts of the state."

As part of that Winter Storm Warning, the weather service was predicting a "snow accumulation of 7-10 inches, along with a light glazing of ice" from Mid-Missouri to central Illinois - as part of a major winter storm stretching from the Midwest to the East Coast.

MoDOT announced: "This storm will will impact travel across the entire state, with a chance for up to 10 inches of snow in the Kansas City area and northeast portion of the state.

"The rest of the state will have lesser amounts of snow but could have more ice accumulation and high winds."

Elizabeth Wright, MoDOT state maintenance engineer, said stated: "For your safety and the safety of our crews, we're asking that once this storm hits your region of the state, you avoid travel unless it is a dire emergency.

"Snow is predicted to be heavy at times and when accompanied by ice and the extremely low temperatures it makes travel extremely hazardous. Blowing snow and high winds make it very difficult for MoDOT crews to clear roads."

Wright said when there are no other vehicles on the roads, "We have a much better chance of making progress so traffic can get moving again."

Locally, both Jefferson City and Cole County road crews were ready for the next storm.

"We're just waiting for it to start in some fashion," Larry Benz, Cole County's Public Works director, told the News Tribune Saturday evening. "When we get a pretty good indication that it's here and going to stay for awhile, we'll put down a layer of salt underneath - and then we'll keep pushing throughout the storm until it's close to being done.

"Then we'll do clean-up after."

Benz said crews would be working once freezing rain or drizzle created problems.

Britt Smith, Jefferson City's operations division director, agreed.

"All the crews are on stand-by, and we have supervisors who are monitoring the roads," Smith said Saturday night.

Like Benz, Smith said road conditions - not the storm or its threats - dictate when road crews get called out.

"We're hoping that we can keep the guys home (as long as possible) and let them get some more rest - because once it hits, I think we're going to be running full operations, non-stop," he said. "It's a fine line when to bring the guys in, but the guys who do it are pretty experienced and have been doing it awhile."

In an earlier interview Friday, Smith told the News Tribune: "We've had 12 storms so far this winter, and that's the all-time record since I've been counting them for us."

Nixon noted: "As we brace for another round of severe winter weather, I urge Missourians to use caution, check on friends and neighbors, and avoid unnecessary travel."

Nixon had planned to leave Sunday on a trade mission to Canada, but announced he was delaying that trip because of the storm and potential emergencies.