FRIGID BLAST OVERTAKES AREA

Shoppers switched their attentions from the search for Christmas presents to buying food and snow supplies on Monday, heeding a weather forecast calling for overnight freezing rain and snow.

The forecast for this week -- the most severe of the season so far -- caused a run on bread and milk at grocery stores.

No freezing precipitation arrived, but temperatures plunged into the mid-teens early in the night.

"We heard the forecast early and ordered in more bread and milk," said Mike Recker, manager of Food Giant in Cape Girardeau. "But we still ran out of bread for a while."

Dan Balsmann of Cape Girardeau almost missed out, but the shelves were refilled.

"My wife called and wanted me to pick up extra bread and milk," he said.

Shoppers also rushed to buy ice and snow-clearing equipment, particularly salt and shovels, said Chris Perkins at Sander True Value Hardware and Pete Rabbitt at Buchheit's.

Temperatures varied by as much as 25 degrees from Jefferson City, Mo., to Cape Girardeau Monday, with a pleasant 55-degree temperatures here. While snow fell in Northern Missouri and Illinois during the day Monday, freezing rains and heavy snow peppered mid-state areas, and thunderstorms, winds and rains rattled Cape Girardeau and southern areas.

Temperatures in the Cape Girardeau area ranged from 55 to 60 degrees around noon Monday. Forecasters were looking for much colder temperatures today, with a high of about 25 degrees. The area forecast calls for snow and 27-degree temperatures Wednesday before reaching back to the 40s late in the week.

Mary Burton, executive director of the Southeast chapter of the American Red Cross, said the organization will designate a warming shelter if necessary. But as yet, she said, the weather has not been cold or inclement enough to warrant designating a shelter.

"We're always ready to set up a shelter when the need arises," she said. "Obviously, if we get phone calls from people saying their house has no heat we'll open a shelter. When we have calls, we always try to meet those needs."

Burton said her best advice for people is to not use their ovens or space heaters to heat their houses.

"Do not use inappropriate heating methods," she said. "That is what we see so much of every winter. People end up burning their houses down and putting their family in danger."

The Red Cross recommends the following tips for surviving wintery weather:

* Wear layers of loose-fitting, light-weight, warm clothing.

* Keep walkways and driveways free from snow and ice.

* Eat and drink to provide the body with energy and prevent dehydration.

* Winterize your vehicle before cold weather sets in.

* Carry a winter storm survival kit in vehicles. Kits should include a blanket or sleeping bag, flashlight with extra batteries, first aid kit, high-calorie, non-perishable food, extra clothing, a shovel, windshield scraper, booster cables, water container and road maps.

* Have an emergency heating source such as a fireplace, wood stove or space heater, but know how to use them properly to prevent starting a fire.