State officials discourage travel because of winter storm

Weather officials said a "significant" winter storm of freezing rain, sleet and snow will occur today, and state officials are discouraging travel.

Because of "expected hazardous conditions," the Missouri Department of Transportation on Saturday afternoon issued a "no travel advisory" extending through today.

"For your safety and the safety of our crews, we're asking that once this storm hits your region of the state, you avoid travel unless it is a dire emergency," said MoDOT state maintenance engineer Elizabeth Wright, in a news release. "Blowing snow and high winds make it very difficult for MoDOT crews to clear roads. If there are no other vehicles on the roadways, we have a much better chance of making progress so traffic can get moving again."

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for "significant ice, snow and sleet accumulations" for Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry, Stoddard and Scott counties today. The warnings expire 6 a.m. Monday.

According to a posting on Ameren Missouri's website, it is moving approximately 120 workers and resources, including three storm supply trailers and a Mobile Command Center, into Southeast Missouri area, including stages in in Cape Girardeau.

"The company's state-of-the-art Quantum Weather forecasting predicts that area could be hit hardest by ice," the posting said.

An Ameren Missouri truck trailer sits next to the Osage Centre on Saturday night to be ready for the expected weekend winter storm. (Fred Lynch)

The imminent bad weather prompted one postponement. A Christian-rock tour that featured Third Day and Skillet at the Show Me Center tonight was postponed to March 17.

Deanna Lindstrom with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., on Saturday said the area is expected to average a quarter-inch to a half-inch of ice.

"It's going to start overnight as rain, maybe freezing drizzle, then it's going to change as the day goes on," Lindstrom said.

An online National Weather Service briefing Saturday evening said all of Southeast Missouri is expected to receive freezing rain and sleet today, which will change to snow in the evening. The snow is expected to continue until about noon Monday.

The briefing also said there could be a swath across the area that receives four to six inches of snow, with possible higher amounts. That area includes Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties.

Other areas across Southeast Missouri are expected to receive one to three inches. The National Weather Service warned the amount of snow each area receives depends on how quickly the cold air moves in, and levels could change.

Although the storm should move out of the area by Monday morning, the agency briefing said it still expects travel that day to be difficult.

Damage to trees and power outages from ice are likely, it said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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Cape Girardeau, MO