Snow causes some accidents, temporary closure of interstate

Snowfall amounts of between 1 and 4 inches covered Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois on Wednesday, leading to accidents and the closure of part of Interstate 55.

On its website, the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., listed reports of snow cover including 2 inches two miles east of Benton, Mo., 1.2 inches at Zalma, Mo., and 3 inches at Sikeston, Mo.

Snow totals were generally higher south. The weather service listed a report of 4 inches at Cairo, Ill., at 1 p.m.

The snow limited visibility as it fell throughout the day. Part of I-55 in New Madrid County was closed temporarily due to an accident and reduced visibility, and an overturned tractor-trailer led to lane reductions on the interstate at Cape Girardeau.

From 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cape Girardeau police responded to about 15 accidents, including four on the interstate. None was serious, department spokesman Darin Hickey said in an e-mail Wednesday afternoon.

No serious accidents were reported in Jackson by early Wednesday night.

Two people received moderate injuries when one car lost control and slid into the path of another car around noon on Highway 77, two miles south of Chaffee, Mo., according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.