Cape, Jackson to get more snow; MoDOT road crews out in full force

Heavy rain and above-freezing temperatures gave way to several inches of snow and blustery winds Saturday in Southeast Missouri, with more precipitation expected through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter storm warning was issued through Saturday evening for portions of Southeast Missouri, with the possibility of heavy snow.

Total accumulations of 3 to 7 inches and winds gusting as high as 40 mph also were forecast for Southeast Missouri, according to information from the National Weather Service.

Ivers Square is seen through heavy snowfall Saturday in downtown Cape Girardeau.Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian

Missouri Department of Transportation Southeast district communications manager Nicole Thieret said the road crews were "all out" as of Saturday evening.

"We are experiencing the worst of our winter weather in the Cape, Jackson, Perryville, Iron and Reynolds counties," she said. "There's a swath of weather coming through, and it's wreaking havoc right now. It's coming down pretty quickly."

In addition, Thieret said, wind gusts were "ferocious" Saturday, and the snow was expected to continue through Saturday evening in varying degrees, according to the weather service utilized by MoDOT.

According to Thieret, one truck was jackknifed early Saturday afternoon on I-55, along with a couple of smaller crashes that were taken care of thanks to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

"We do currently have our crews out," she said. "We will have those folks out into [Sunday] so we can get roadways back to as near-normal as possible."

Thieret cautioned refreeze could also be a concern associated with the winter weather, through Sunday morning.

"If [drivers] need to get out [Sunday] morning, they need to be very cautious and take it slow," she said.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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