SNOWSTORM BLANKETS REGION

An expected snowstorm swept through Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois Wednesday, making driving hazardous by early evening.

More than 1 inch of snow had fallen in Cape Girardeau by 9 p.m. Wednesday, with an accumulation of 4 to 8 inches expected before ending today.

Stores were packed Wednesday with shoppers stocking up on the essentials before the big snow storm hit.

Bread, milk, rock salt, antifreeze, ice scrapers and sleds were all moving out the doors of Walmart, K-Mart, Schnucks and Rhodes 101.

But in case someone missed out, Pizza Hut on Sprigg Street was delivering late into the night.

"When the weather gets real bad like this we get real, real busy," Wanda Johnson, Pizza Hut shift supervisor, said. "Nobody wants to get out. But it's up to our drivers, if the drivers chose to drive in it they can, if they don't want to we don't make them.

"They make a lot better tips in the snow."

Cape Girardeau Superintendent Dan Tallent and Jackson Superintendent Howard Jones both said they would wait until late Wednesday night or early this morning to decide if they will close the schools.

"Even if it looks bad now," Jones said, "invariably if I were to decide to close the schools this early the snow would stop and it would be all clear by morning."

The brunt of the storm was expected to hit the Bootheel, where more than 8 to 10 inches of snow was forecast to fall by the time the system leaves late today, National Weather Service meteorologist Dustin Harbage said.

The weather caused fender-benders and minor wrecks statewide.

A winter storm warning was in effect across the state.

In southwest and south-central Missouri, a warning is posted when more than 6 inches of snow is expected in 12 hours. A similar warning is posted in the Bootheel, where 4 or more inches were forecast in that time frame.

An area of low pressure extending to Texas was responsible for the storm, which forced early school closings across the state. Before noon, children were sent home in Taney and Stone counties in southwest Missouri, which took the storm's first hit.

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, learned of the nasty weather in the 8th Congressional district during a conference call with local reporters. When one broadcaster put his line on hold, the new congresswoman heard the radio station reporting school closings.

"We're all coming home tomorrow for a staff retreat. How bad is it?" Emerson inquired. "Hopefully our plane will be able to take off."

Schnucks and Walmart saw quite a run on bread and milk from about noon until the first snow flakes drifted down around 4 p.m.

"It's been a little heavy," Paul Harper, supermarket manager for the Kingshighway Schnucks, said. "It's been a little busier than normal. The weather's causing some of it I'm sure.

"But we're manned and ready."

Harper said it doesn't take a crystal ball to anticipate a rush like this.

"You can watch the weather and you know what's coming so you prepare for it," he said. "We can add things that are real important to our orders."

Greg Hord, co-manager of Walmart, said his store had a good crowd that was buying as many sleds as it was bread.

"I'm figuring if it hits tonight we'll probably be dead Thursday," Hord said.

William Marra, K-Mart store manager, prepared for the storm by moving many snow-related items to the front.

"I heard they don't like snow in this area," Marra said. "We've had an increase in customers but nothing extraordinary."

The pumps at the Rhodes 101 gas station on William Street were running nearly nonstop Wednesday, said Chug Little, who was acting manager at that store. Rhodes had topped off their gasoline tanks during the afternoon in anticipation of a busy day.

"Gas, antifreeze, ice scrapers, they're all going pretty good today," Little said. "Coffee sales have been way up too."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.