Area schools dismiss ahead of predicted wintry weather

Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts dismissed students early Wednesday due to predicted inclement weather in the area.

According to The Weather Channel website, portions of Southeast Missouri and Illinois area will accumulate 2-5 inches of snow and .1 of an inch of ice, beginning Wednesday afternoon and carrying over into Thursday.

Cape Girardeau School Districts dismissed all students at their locations between 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. and all afternoon activities were canceled. The school is monitoring the weather conditions in order to make a decision on whether classes will be held Thursday.

Jackson School District dismissed at noon, and all after-school programs were canceled. The school's Facebook page noted, "We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Safety is our top priority."

The Weather Channel website states the winter storm warning for the area is in effect from 6 a.m. Wednesday to midnight on Thursday, and the storm is expected to cause possible power outages due to the ice, wind and tree damage. The period of highest accumulation is currently predicted to occur between Wednsday and noon on Thursday. Travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary because of hazardous road conditions.