STORM, HOLIDAY COMBINE FOR FEW INJURIES

The freezing rain, sleet and snow that fell on parts of southern Missouri Monday night and early Tuesday, creating hazardous driving conditions, caused no accidents with injuries, authorities said.

Most of the accidents involved cars that ran off the road or into medians and semi-trucks that jackknifed on ice-covered pavement.

Early Tuesday, Interstate 55 was listed as ice-covered from Ste. Genevieve to the Arkansas line. Similar conditions were reported on I-57 from Cairo, Ill., to Mount Vernon, Ill.

Ice accumulations caused scattered interruptions of telephone and electrical service in Stoddard and Pemiscot counties. Up to an inch of ice was reported in Sikeston and Marble Hill.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said at least 25 vehicle accidents were reported in Southeast Missouri. Most occurred late Monday night and early Tuesday on I-55 and Highways 60 and 67. The patrol said a large number of semi-trucks had jackknifed on I-57 between the Mississippi River bridge at Cairo and Sikeston.

Illinois State Police at Ullin reported even fewer accidents during the same period. Most were described as "fender-benders," and none involved injuries.

Cape Girardeau police reported an unusually quiet rush-hour Tuesday morning.

"Actually, everything went relatively well, considering the circumstances," said Sgt. Carl Kinnison. "The midnight dispatchers said there were no accident calls on their shift. There just wasn't as much traffic out Tuesday morning as normal because all of the schools are closed for the Christmas-New Year's holiday, several large companies are closed this week, and others are on vacation. That means a lot of people had the option of not getting out; they chose to stay at home."

Missouri Weather Cooperative at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport said the freezing rain began at 7:36 p.m. Monday. During the evening and morning hours, the precipitation changed from freezing rain to sleet to snow, back to sleet and back to snow before finally ending at 8:33 a.m. Tuesday. One inch of snow and sleet fell at the airport.

Donna Rubach of the Cape Girardeau Public Works Department said street crews began treating the frozen streets around 9:30 p.m. Monday, and continued to work into Tuesday morning.

The sleet and ice caused delays in Tuesday's solid-waste pickup.

"We were a little slow getting started because of the weather," said solid-waste department spokesperson Mary Ellen Klein. "Those whose trash was not picked up on Tuesday will be picked up today."

Klein said because of the New Year's holiday, Friday's solid-waste routes will be run on Thursday and Thursday's routes will be run today. There will be no Wednesday special pickups today.

Although areas to the north did not get any snow or sleet, they did suffer from record-breaking cold on Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service reported record lows of minus 21 degrees at Mason City, Iowa, and minus 38 at Tower, Minn.

The weather service said warming temperatures and clearing skies should begin today, with highs in the mid-30s. Lows Thursday will be in the low 20s, with highs in the low 40s. Highs on New Year's Day will be in the low 50s.

No precipitation is expected for the period Thursday through Saturday.